Babysitting
by KonohasBlackReaper
Summary: Shikamaru had decided that he would look after Asuma's child. What happens when the opportunity comes earlier than he planned? Way too early... He realizes that an IQ over 200 is not enough. RATED-T for Future chapters.
1. An Unexpected Guest

This is my first work... So if I do not meet your expectations, please bear with me ^_^.

Thanks

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><p>"You want me to WHAT?"-<p>

Shikamaru stood with his mouth slightly open. He was shocked, to say the least.

"Jeez, Shikamaru! For a genius, you sure are slow." said the pink haired girl smiling. "For the next four days you are going to take care of him." She said, pointing to the little baby in her arms. "Kurenai sensei is down with the flu' that's been going around and Hizuren is too young to be able to stay with her right now."

"I get that, but why ME?" Shikamaru breathed.

Sakura sighed, "He was originally going to stay with Hinata, but she is leaving on an escort mission in a few hours. I would take him in, but the flu' epidemic is keeping me at the hospital till odd hours."

"But that still does not answer my question" Shikamaru looked at Sakura.

"Where else is there? Do you want him to stay in the orphanage until sensei gets better? Because that's where he will have to go if no one keeps him." Sakura glared at him. "Didn't you say that you were going to be his sensei and take care of him? Or was that all talk?"

Shikamaru looked at the sleeping baby in the girl's arms. As if he knew he was being watched, the baby opened his eyes, and a wave of nostalgia washed over Shikamaru. 'He has his father's eyes.' He thought.

"Fine" Shikamaru sighed. "Four days." He stepped back to allow the girl to come in.

"I knew I could count on you, Shikamaru. You're a nice guy." Sakura smiled and walked in.

"And bring those in, would you?" She said pointing outside. Shikamaru walked outside his door and saw what looked like a collapsing crib and two full sized bags.

"All that stuff for four days?" He said surprised.

"Better safe than sorry" Sakura said grinning.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH…"

"WHAT THE - ? " Shikamaru rushed inside.

The baby had started to wail.

"Oh! He's woken up." Sakura said as she looked at the baby in the blankets.

"What now? Is he hungry? Do we feed him? What does he ea-…? Shikamaru blabbered anxiously.

"Whoa! Slow down boy. I fed him, so he shouldn't be hungry. Doesn't smell either" Sakura said holding the baby above her shoulders. "Maybe he's just reacting to unfamiliar surroundings. The difference in his house and this place is quite strong, and he is the third's grandson after all, so he had to notice, didn't you?" She said to the little bundle of blankets in her arm. "Of course you did" She smiled at the baby.

"You go and get the stuff inside, Shikamaru, I'll handle Hizuren" She said to the sweating boy.

Shikamaru brought the stuff inside and put it in a corner. He started putting the crib together. He worked in silence for a few minutes. When he looked up he saw that Sakura had managed to calm Hizuren down. "That was fast!" He thought. Sakura was looking around the room. He saw one eyebrow go up as she saw the ashtray on the table.

"I thought you stopped smoking, Shikamaru. I can't have Hizuren exposed to smoke." She frowned at him.

"I did" Shikamaru replied. He sat down with his back to the wall and looked at the ashtray. "It was Asuma's. I just keep it around for the memories" He looked at the baby now sound asleep in Sakura's arms and said," Did you know Asuma quit too?" He looked at the pink haired girl. "Just before we left for the mission." Sakura bowed her head. Shikamaru had never talked to anyone about Asuma, except with Kurenai sensei.

"Anyways" Shikamaru said standing up "Better put him in the crib"

"Yeah" Sakura said taking a look at Hizuren.

Sakura felt relieved at this change in the topic. She didn't want Shikamaru to think about Asuma. She looked around her trying to find some neutral topic to talk about.

"Say, Shikamaru" She said "Why aren't you doing something to this place?" She waved her hand around her, looking at the sparsely decorated room.

Shikamaru looked around and said, "Well, it's not like this is permanent, you know. I'm here only as long as it takes to change the floorboards at the family home"

"Really?" Sakura sat down. "I thought you were moving out of the family house. Trying a little independence" She smiled.

"Why would I want that? It's troublesome to live alone" Shikamaru said as he lay down on the other side of the table.

"If it was temporary, why did you give that party?" Sakura asked as she tilted her head to get a better view of Hizuren's crib.

"Chouji made me do it" Shikamaru said remembering how happy his friend was at the idea of an excuse to eat barbeque.

Sakura stood up and stretched. "I guess I should be leaving now. Shishou would want me to make another round before the patients go to sleep". She took another look at the sleeping baby. "He should sleep for quite a while now that he is used to this apartment. Just in case, I prepared some of his food if he needed to feed again. Remember to check the temperature of the milk against your skin. And more importantly there are diapers in the blue bag."

She looked around, whispered goodbye to the baby, walked to the door and opened it. "Good luck, Shikamaru" She said, taking a look at the boy lying on the mat with his eyes closed.

"Yeah, thanks" he said.

He heard the door shut and sighed. That was that. He was alone with the baby. For the next four days, he was responsible for the kid. He opened his eyes, looked at the crib. He could hear the slow rhythmic breathing of the baby. Sakura had been right. He was going to be the kid's sensei, he shouldn't have had to be reminded of that. But Shikamaru didn't like kids. They were too much effort to look after. Troublesome, very troublesome. He stood up and took a look at the sleeping baby.

Still, he thought. How much trouble can a baby be?

Dreaming, Hizuren smiled….

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><p><strong>EDIT:<strong>

**Sorry for short chapters... Didn't know it would look this small ^_^'**


	2. In Over His Head

**Present- "**Troublesome**"**

**_Flashback_** - "_Troublesome"_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:In Over His Head<strong>

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><p>"WAAAAAAAAAAA…..WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"<p>

"Damn it" cursed Shikamaru, as he got up from his bed to look at the baby for what he thought was the hundredth time that night.

What had Sakura said? He should sleep well. If this was sleeping well, Shikamaru didn't even want to imagine what it would be when Hizuren didn't sleep well. In all honesty, Shikamaru hoped he would never find out. It was still dark and there was no light except for the moon and streetlights.

"What is it now? You can't be hungry again. You've already had three bottles of milk. Where are you putting it all?" muttered Shikamaru as he peered into the crib. And then, he smelled IT…

"Oh shi…" he stopped, the irony hitting him mid-sentence.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked, addressing the ceiling. No one answered back. He took a deep breath, instantly regretting it.

"I guess I better change your diaper, huh?" Shikamaru asked the crying baby. He took out a new packet from the bag and got to work. He struggled a bit to remove the diaper without actually touching it, except with fingertips.

How he wished his parents were here. They would be enjoying their vacation in the land of Snow. He sighed, not for the first or the last time that night.

"Now please stop crying" he said to the little baby, after admiring his first attempt at diapers. He was satisfied with his handiwork. All he wanted now was to go to sleep and stay asleep till morning. If only the brat would stop crying.

"Waaaaa Waaaaaa….."

"What is it now? What else could you possibly want?" Shikamaru looked down into the crib.

"Waaaaaaaa… ….." Hizuren cried.

"Why won't you stop crying?" Shikamaru said picking him up. He remembered that his mother had once told him that his old man had to hold him in his arms and walk for hours when he used to cry at nights.

He sighed, wrapped the baby in the blankets, put him against his shoulder and opened the front door. It was going to be a long night.

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><p>It was almost morning when Hizuren finally went to sleep. Shikamaru carefully started towards his apartment, intent on avoiding any company. Hizuren had fallen asleep once before, and on the way home, they had run into the most loud student-sensei duo in konoha.<p>

"_AH SHIKAMARU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, OUTSIDE IN THE NIGHT "said a green clad figure on a nearby rooftop._

_It vanished and appeared next to Shikamaru._

"_Shh…. keep it do-"whispered Shikamaru._

"_WHAT IS THAT YOU ARE CARRYING IN THOSE BLANKETS, O ESTEEMED FRIEND" continued Lee._

"_AHH LEE, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT IT IS YOUTH THAT HE IS HOLDING. IT IS AN INFANT" said another green spandex wearing figure that appeared next to the first._

"_For God's sake be quiet or you will wak–"pleaded Shikamaru anxiously, but his words failed to reach the duo._

"_YOU ARE RIGHT. JUST LIKE ALWAYS, SENSEI"_

"_LEE"_

"_GAI-SENSEI"_

'_LEE"_

"_GAI-SENSEI"_

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"_

"_Oh not again" wailed Shikamaru._

"_THE INFANT IS CRYING SHIKAMARU, DO YOU NEED HELP?" asked the jounin._

"_No thanks, you have done enough. Don't let me keep you. Please be on your way" Shikamaru replied through clenched teeth. As he moved away, he cursed his luck. It looked like he wasn't going to be able to sleep after all._

Finally as Shikamaru walked home, he was on the lookout for any further hindrances. The sun had just touched the horizon as he reached his door. As he opened it, he wondered if he would survive four days. He put Hizuren into his crib and shuffled to his bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

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><p>KNOCK-KNOCK …..<p>

"….."

KNOCK-KNOCK …..

"SHIKAMARU? ….. ARE YOU THERE? …. OPEN UP. ITS ME…. SAKURA. "

Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked around. His eye fell on his alarm clock next to his bed- 8:15 am.

"COMING!" he said. Shikamaru yawned and stood up. He was still wearing his sandals. He had been so tired when he had come back that he didn't even have the strength to take them off. He shuffled towards the door, stopped on the way to peep into the crib. The little brat was sleeping so peacefully. Shikamaru was almost jealous, but he also felt something else as he looked at the kid sleeping under so many blankets. Shikamaru couldn't quite place the feeling. Mumbling, he went to open the door.

"Wow! Shikamaru!" said the pinklet, her eyes going wide.

"What?" Shikamaru said as he gestured the kunoichi to come in.

"You look like hell, Shikamaru. What happened?" asked Sakura.

"The brat happened, what else?" Said Shikamaru as he stifled a yawn. "He won't sleep for more than two hours at a time, and then won't go to sleep and cry until I want to cry with him. The kid is out to get me."

Sakura felt sorry for her friend. She knew it wasn't easy for a boy to take care of a baby, even if he was a genius. A baby needed a gentle touch, something that a woman would know from her instincts. She wished that Tsunade-sama had listened to her . She had been worried for Hizuren and Godaime-sama had thought of Shikamaru. Sakura felt a little uncomfortable remembering her discussion with her Shishou. She couldn't get rid of the sneaky feeling that Tsunade-sama was hatching something in her mind. She had a smug look in her eyes when she had ordered, not asked, Sakura to give Hizuren to Shikamaru's care. It was the same look her Shishou had when she gambled, whether it be for bottles of sake or break from paperwork . Sakura sighed, and wondered what the genius had done to get on the Hokage's nerves, for him to be given a task which was surely not up his alley.

"What are you sighing about?" Shikamaru asked, looking in her eyes.

"Eh-?" Sakura jumped, mentally scolding herself for forgetting where she was.

"I said, what are you sighing about?" Shikamaru asked as he turned and started to walk into his bedroom.

"No-nothing" Sakura followed him into the next room. She saw him bending over the crib, checking up on Hizuren.

She observed Shikamaru as he sighed and sat down on a cushion with his back to the wall, and closed his eyes. She heard the word 'Troublesome'. He looked tired, no doubt. He had bags under his eyes, he was wearing mismatched sandals, a blue and a black one. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all. Again, she felt sorry for her friend. Suddenly she realized he was talking to her .

"I said, aren't you supposed to be at the hospital? Isn't that why you couldn't look after him?" Shikamaru asked, nodding towards the crib.

"I have free time until nine. That's when my job starts, and goes on without a fixed time for it to end." Sakura sat down opposite Shikamaru.

"Hey Shikamaru-" she said, looking at the boy in front of him. "When was the last time you talked to Tsunade-sama?"

"When I gave my last mission report. Why?" Shikamaru asked opening his eyes and looking straight at Sakura.

"No reason, just that haven't seen you in Hokage tower recently." Sakura said, hoping he wouldn't pressure her. She didn't think she would be able to lie convincingly to the genius. She thought he was about to question her further when-

"WAAAAAAAA….."

"Whew! Saved by the baby", Sakura thought.

She watched Shikamaru as he stood up and took Hizuren out of the crib. She saw him sniff the air before sighing and putting the baby down on the table. Again, the feelings of pity returned.

"Tell you what Shikamaru, why don't you freshen up and I'll take care of Hizuren this time. God knows you look like you need it." Sakura said standing up.

"Really? Ah, thanks Sakura. I do need it." Shikamaru moved towards his closet. He took out his clothes and looked at the photograph of his old genin team. He smiled as he looked at the jounin standing behind the three genin .

"Gupya….. Gurgle"

Shikamaru turned to see that Hizuren had stopped crying and was now smiling happily at the pink haired girl as she put him into a clean diaper. Shikamaru was amazed.

'How did she do that?' he thought as he went into the bathroom.

As the water washed over him he felt some of his fatigue leaving him. 'God, it feels nice…' he thought. After just one night he discovered that he had newfound respect for his old man. Before last night, he had always thought of his father's memories of his baby days to be easy work. Oh, how he had been proved wrong. In spite of himself, he smiled. "Baka oya-ji.." he muttered.

Meanwhile Sakura had finished cleaning up and feeding Hizuren. As she saw the baby with his bottle, drinking happily, she was reminded of a little puppy she had seen at Kiba's kennel. Happy and content. She set him down into his crib and put the other things away. She sat down again and took a look at the clock on the bedside table. It was almost time for her to go.

"SHIKAMARU… HURRY UP. I HAVE TO LEAVE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES." She yelled.

"ALLRIGHT… GIMME A MINUTE" Shikamaru yelled back.

Sakura was already standing at the door when Shikamaru came out, glancing at the clock.

"I have to leave now, I'm supposed to meet Shishou before I go to the hospital. I'll try to come again sometime today, whenever I have the time. Bye.. " Sakura said opening the door and going out.

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><p><strong>The green duo make an appearance... much to Shika's annoyance... <strong>

**Poor Shika**

**Almost completed the next chapter.****Will be updating soon.. Bye ^_^**


	3. Aimless Wind In Konoha

**Poor Shikamaru. He really is in over his head -_-'**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:Aimless wind in Konoha<strong>

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><p>Sakura quickly made her way to the Hokage tower. As she neared Tsunade's room, she heard voices from inside, along with Tsunade and Shizune, one that was familiar but she couldn't place. Curiosity got the better of etiquettes and she opened the door without knocking."<p>

"-a courier hawk but I guess you missed it." Tsunade was saying to a sandy haired girl wearing a fan on her back.

All three turned towards the door.

"Good morning Shishou, Shizune-san. Ah, Temari-san. I thought it was you." Sakura lied, closing the door. "It's been a while."

"It sure has been, Sakura. The last time we met, you saved Kankuro's life. I am eternally grateful to you for that" the sand-jounin smiled back, standing up.

"Oh please Temari-san, we are allies and friends. No need for you to feel so." Sakura said walking to her and taking her hand.

"Of course, Temari-san" Joined Shizune. "Especially as Naruto-kun and Gaara-ku-, I mean Kazekage-sama are such good friends."

"I know but still-" Temari looked at Sakura and smiled.

"Are you here on chuunin exams business? I thought they were quite some time away." Sakura asked Temari, looking at Tsunade questioningly.

"No, I'm here for our stolen scrolls that were being transferred by the Sound village to Iwagakure. But it seems they are not here yet." Temari said leaning back into her chair.

"As I was saying before you came in Sakura, the team that went to intercept the transfer took some Injuries, and had to detour to one of our safe houses outside the border for medical care and rest. They will be here in four days.", Tsunade rested her chin on her fingertips and looked at a report on her table. " That is the situation right now ." She looked at Temari. "So , What do you plan to do? Go back?"

" It takes me two days to travel between the leaf and sand at normal pace. Four days means going back and coming are just a waste of time-" Temari said, thinking.

"IT'S DECIDED THEN—", Tsunade banged her fist on the table causing everyone to jump.

"What's decided, Shishou?" Sakura asked , her eyes narrowed. Tsunade had that smug look again.

"Temari will stay in leaf until the scrolls get here, as a guest, of course." Tsunade smiled, a smile that reinforced Sakura's suspicions that she was up to something.

"Eh-?" Temari sat up straight.

"Ah Yes, a good idea Tsunade-sama " Shizune piped in.

"B-But what will I do for four days? I've never done this." Temari asked.

"Hmm? But you've been coming to leaf for three and a half years now, Temari-san." Shizune asked, picking up her pig.

"That's right Temari-san." Sakura took the older girls hands. "It's not like it's your first time in the leaf village."

"But usually I'm here for work, so all of my time is spent either at meetings, at the inn or in-between. I've only ever been to one barbeque outside my official meetings and that too with that lazy guy's team, when Asuma-dono insisted that I come to their team's formation anniversary." Temari said slowly, remembering how the Jounin-captain had threatened to cancel the party altogether if she refused to come.

"Asuma- huh? That guy never missed much, did he?", Tsunade smiled softly.

"Heh? What do you mean Tsunade-sama?" Asked Shizune .

"Nothing, Nothing at all. I just spoke my thoughts aloud.", Tsunade shook her head and hands hurriedly.

"Hmm, Temari-san hasn't spent any free time in the village? I guess that is a problem, and you're not really friends with many people here either, so that's no help at all" Sakura mused, her gaze going up and down over Temari, like an X-ray, thought Temari.

"Well, I am friends with you guys, except maybe Tenten", sighed Temari, "but I'm the one to blame for that. I behaved quite badly during the chuunin exams and after the treaty was re-established, I couldn't quite face her ever again."

"Please don't say that Temari-san. Tenten really idolizes you." Sakura said.

"Eh-?" Temari said, stunned.

" You were her first opponent that beat her so badly. She thinks you're awesome. She says you're match helped her realize many of her weaknesses ." Sakura smiled and nodded.

"But she always avoids me on the streets , I thought she only endured me for the villages sake." Temari said looking down at her lap.

"She thinks that you think of her as a weakling, so she said until she becomes strong she won't bother you" Sakura said, remembering how Tenten had made the dramatic declaration.

"I saw her chuunin exam match, a year ago. She indeed has become quite strong." Temari smiled.

"That she has" Tsunade said leaning back into her chair, smiling " But that doesn't solve your problem. Hinata and Tenten are out on Missions. Sakura and Ino have their work cut out for them at the hospital because of the flu' epidemic. You are still nowhere."

"I guess I'll just stay inside the inn for the next four days" sighed Temari, standing up.

"Tsunade-sama, What about Shikamaru-kun?" asked Shizune. Sakura and Temari looked towards the Hokage.

"I'm afraid I can't ask him to do any more than what he is already doing. He must have his hands quite full without us giving him any extra work." Tsunade smiled. "and Temari doesn't have to stay inside all the time. You are always welcome here, also there is quite a nice park where you can laze around near your inn. I'll assign you a genin as escort."

"No thank you, Hokage-sama. You don't have to for just my sake. I will take your advice and go to the park." Temari bowed and started towards the door, missing the look Sakura and Shizune were giving the Hokage.

"What are you trying to do, Shishou?" Sakura asked suspiciously after Temari had left. "I don't like the look you have on your face."

"I recognize that look Sakura. It's her 'All or nothing' look." Shizune peered at her master closely.

"You knew that Temari-san wouldn't get the scrolls today and that she would have to stay didn't you, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"Yet you ordered me to leave Hizuren in Shikamaru's care knowing fully well that Konohamaru's mother would have loved to have him, thereby making Shikamaru unavailable for the escort mission." Sakura said getting angry. "I want Temari-san to make some favourable memories of Konoha. Now she will have to spend her time inside an inn or wandering around alone and bored."

"Both of you have still much to learn, my dear students." Tsunade smiled at the confused faces of her apprentices, and leaned back into her chair. She thought of Asuma and chuckled. Maybe she would visit his and his father's graves today…

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><p><strong>I guess most of you understand what Tsunade is planning...<strong>

**Sakura and Shizune have no idea. Maybe I'll get them to be co-conspirators later... or not.**

**Till next time...**

**will update soon...**


	4. Floating cloud in a gentle wind

**Chapter 4:Floating Cloud In A Gentle Wind**

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><p>Shikamaru was exhausted. He was thankful to whatever Gods that may be for his idea of bringing the baby to the park. He had been right. Hizuren was used to coming to the park with his mother and was gurgling happily at the birds and the leaves. He had crawled a little distance away to roll in the leaves, leaving Shikamaru free for some rest. He still had no idea how he was going to do it for three more days. He had never thought that babies were so much of a hassle.<p>

He turned to look at Hizuren playing, happy. Still, he thought smiling, he guessed they were worth it all. He thought of his own plans, the ones he had made when other kids his age were thinking about graduating the academy.

He closed his eyes and smiled, remembering how he had decided that he wanted a girl and a boy. But first, he would need to find himself a girl. A girl who was not too beautiful or a hag. A girl who would take him for what he was. Where would he find one-?.

"Oi, you lazy bum. Wake up."

Shikamaru opened one eye and saw his vision filled by sand colored hair and green eyes. Green eyes that he remembered so well.

"Well, Well. If it isn't the scary woman. Didn't know you were in Konoha. What are you doing here of all places?" Shikamaru asked opening both his eyes.

That was a valid question, Temari thought. What was she doing here?. She had decided to go sit in the park for some time before she went to her inn. She had been strolling when she came upon a familiar sight- the lazy ass taking a nap. Her feet had automatically moved in his direction. Instead of saying that, she chose to interpret his question in a broader sense.

"I came to take some scrolls back to my village, but they aren't here yet, so I am to play the tourist until they do." She replied, sliding down on the grass against the tree. Shikamaru closed his eyes again. "Having fun yet?" he asked.

"Not really. I don't know much about the village other than that was required for my stays here and I've never gone anyplace else here." Temari said and glanced down at the Nara.

"You came to our anniversary lunch" reminded Shikamaru, eyes still closed.

"That was the only time" Temari replied.

"So, you haven't been assigned an escort?" Shikamaru asked.

"No I refused a genin Hokage-sama offered me." Temari answered, unbuckling her fan and laying it down next to her.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked.

"I didn't need to be taken to all the sweet shops around Konoha." Temari snapped back.

"Geez... just saying. …. troublesome." Shikamaru closed his eyes.

"I heard you were supposed to be really busy. 'Hands full' if I remember Hokage-sama's words correctly. " Temari asked, trying to change the topic.

"I am." Shikamaru said.

"Don't look busy right now." Temari smiled at him.

"Don't jinx it" Shikamaru frowned.

"You aren't the superstitious type. " Temari stretched out her legs.

"Well right now, I'm not taking any chances that I'm wrong." Shikamaru sighed.

"What's got you so bad? Deciphering something with that glasses girl?" Temari asked, remembering the absentminded girl that she had met the last time she had come to Konoha. She had been amused and surprised to find that the girl had a crush on the lazy ninja.

"Glasses girl? You mean Shiho? No haven't been to the crypt department in a while. But I'd gladly trade a cipher with this job." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Then what is so hard that's got you crying jinx." Temari asked curious. There weren't many things that could get the genius so busy.

"That." Shikamaru pointed towards a pile of leaves.

"You're being made to pick up leaves?" Temari asked incredulous.

"What? Are you drunk? Why would they make me do that?" Shikamaru sat up.

"Well, you tell me. You were the one pointing at the leaves." Temari fired back.

"I wasn't pointing to the pile of leaves. I was pointing to what is in it." Shikamaru nodded.

"In it-?" Temari turned and looked at the leaves again. She stood up and walked to the pile of leaves and then she saw it.

"A baby?" asked Temari wide-eyed. She was looking at a baby. A very cute baby.

"Don't scare him. If he starts to cry he won't stop." Shikamaru warned.

"Why would I want to scare him, idiot?" Temari shot back at him, crouching next to the baby. "You are on a baby-sitting job?" she asked chuckling. She picked up a few leaves and showered them on Hizuren, who laughed happily. "He reminds me of someone, whose baby is he?" Temari asked looking back at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed and got up, dusted himself and walked to the girl and the baby. "Asuma and Kurenai-sensei's. His name is Sarutobi Hizuren."

"Sarutobi Hizuren? Wasn't that the Third Hokage's name as well?"Temari asked as she tickled little Hizuren's tummy.

"Yeah." Shikamaru answered.

"How come you're baby-sitting him?" Temari asked and picked up Hizuren.

"Kurenai-sensei has the flu'. The girls are either out on missions or too busy. Since I promised Asuma to take care of him, I'm just starting a little early than I thought." Shikamaru answered back.

Temari tossed Hizuren in the air a few times, to the enjoyment of Hizuren and horror of Shikamaru.

"Oi woman, what are you doing? He'll start crying." Shikamaru almost shouted.

"No he won't, stupid. Can't you see, he's having fun. You really don't have any idea about little kids do you?" Temari sniggered. "No wonder you have your hands full."

Hizuren started trying to catch Temari's hair in his hands, completely oblivious of the panic he was putting Shikamaru into.

"You don't know how it is like. He just cries and cries and cries. There is literally no stopping him." Shikamaru said keeping a vary eye on Hizuren's antics.

"He's just a baby. He can't talk, so any form of communication is done through crying. Since he is so young, he has only a handful of requirements. Take care of them and he'll stop crying, stupid." Temari laughed at Shikamaru's expression as Hizuren yawned and settled onto Temari's shoulder . "See?"

"Did you bring any sheets or blankets with you?" Temari asked Shikamaru, looking around.

"No. I didn't think we would need them." Shikamaru shook his head.

"Always be prepared, with a kid. My uncle taught me that." Temari said as she sat down against the tree, in the shade. "Take off your vest, and lay it down here." Temari pointed next to her.

"Why?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrow.

"Hizuren is feeling sleepy. If you don't let him sleep soon, he WILL cry." Temari warned.

Shikamaru immediately took of his vest. In fact, the fastest Temari had ever seen anyone take off a jacket. Shikamaru was really scared of the kid crying, thought Temari amused. She made a mental note of it for future ribbing.

"Here we go." Temari said as she lay Hizuren down on the vest and closed it. Hizuren reached out and clutched at Temari's fingers, taking hold of one. Shikamaru looked at Hizuren and sighed.

"Well, That's done for no-" He stopped as he saw Temari looking down at Hizuren, surprised. He would never have thought it possible to see such a soft expression on this scary woman's face. Such a gentle smile on her lips as her green eyes looked on at the baby falling asleep.

"Isn't he adorable?" Temari whispered, her eyes shining. She lay down next to Hizuren, who still had a firm hold of her finger and closed her eyes. "Asleep in a moment, a lazy ass, just like you."

"Well, sorry for being a lazy ass, but I don't intend to change." Shikamaru replied, suddenly irritable. Everybody told him that he was too lazy, Ino, Sakura, his mother, even Shiho had said that he made her sleepy and Hinata had just looked embarrassed as if she agreed.

Why couldn't they just let him be, like his dad,Asuma, Chouji, Naruto, Shino, kiba and even Rock Lee? Then he realized Temari was speaking.

"Of course, you shouldn't. Why should you? If you were energetic like that green guy or that brat Naruto, you wouldn't be **You**." Temari said, her eyes still closed. "Even if you lack motivation generally, you work hard for your village. Everybody knows that. Even Bali thought you were good during that chuunin exam. And let me tell you, Bali is a miser when it comes to compliments. It is the truth. An energetic version of you would be too troublesome. You are good just the way you are."

"Huh-?" Shikamaru had his mouth open, which he closed as soon he realized it. He lay back against the tree trunk feeling a little confused. He remembered all the times he had been told that he should come out of his lazy habits, now that he was a chuunin.

"Are you pulling my leg, you scary woman? You are the one who always calls me a lazy ass." Shikamaru asked quietly. When he got no reply he glanced down at the duo on the ground beside him. Temari's breathing was as rhythmic as Hizuren's. She looked so peaceful. Shikamaru felt a..a...a something, as if he had misjudged the distance of a branch in his jump and had tried to step on air.

"Troublesome" Shikamaru said, as he looked away. He looked at the carefree clouds floating away, in a gentle wind. He smiled and closed his eyes.

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><p><strong>Well, I tried to keep both of them inside their characters. Hope you like it.<strong>

**For people who do not like ShikaTema- Please no bashing.**

**I have a presentation coming up. Will be busy till tuesday, will try to update soon though. ^_^**


	5. Scary Woman: Not so scary?

**Chapter 5:Shadow Defeated**

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><p>"Hey! Scary woman, wake up!"<p>

Temari opened her eyes and looked towards the owner of the voice. He was sitting with his back against the tree and looking down at her. She was surprised to see him. Where was she? She tried to remember.

"Gugu….. "

She looked towards the noise and saw a baby, then she remembered.

"You must have been tired, you dozed off in the middle of our conversation", Shikamaru said looking at the clouds.

"I did?", Temari asked surprised. It was true, she HAD been really tired from her journey from Suna.

"Maybe because you were being really boring." She remarked as she rolled onto her back and picked Hizuren, who gave a big yawn as she raised him above her.

The position of the sun had changed quite a bit. She calculated that she had been asleep for around four hours.

"What were you doing all this time?" Temari asked the boy who gazing up at the clouds.

"I also took a nap. That brat didn't let me sleep last night." He replied yawning.

"Why did you wake up then?" Temari asked Shikamaru. He was clearly still tired.

"It's his feeding time." Shikamaru nodded towards Hizuren and grabbed a bag from his side.

Shikamaru pulled out a bottle and a baby mix that he had packed in the morning. He was glad that he had decided to bring food even though he hadn't thought of spending so much time at the park. Since Hizuren and Temari had settled in for a nap, he didn't see the point of waking them up and had given in to his own groaning body that was just begging for some rest.

"Did you get your mother to do that for you?" Temari asked eyeing the baby food with approving eyes.

"No, I did it myself." Shikamaru replied. "My parents are on a vacation ."

"It looks well made" Temari said opening the package. "Did you bring a spoon?"

"Of course I did." Shikamaru said as he took out the said spoon. "Get him up." He said.

Temari sat up and took Hizuren in her lap, ready for the food Shikamaru had in his hand. Shikamaru had filled the spoon completely with the baby mix and was bringing it to the baby's mouth. Hizuren was giggling happily, obviously enjoying himself in the lap that was just like his mother's. He paid no attention to the boy with the spoon in his hand and was playing with the folds of the girl's clothes.

"Hey, look here kid. Open your mouth." Shikamaru said to the little boy.

Hizuren kept playing with the girl as Shikamaru kept hovering the spoon near his mouth. Temari just laughed, both at the antics of the child and the obvious failure of the konoha jounin to grab the child's attention. Shikamaru finally took the spoon back and looked at Temari reproachfully.

"You could help you know, instead of just laughing at me." He said.

"Well, I was just letting you do your thing, you know? ", Temari smiled and continued, "But it is clear that you aren't up to it. Here give it to me." She held out her hand.

Well, he'd be Damned if he would let her do it now. He wasn't going to lose to _her._ His pride was at stake. Whatever was left of it, anyway.

"I never said that I want you to do it. All I want is for you to stop distracting the kid." He shot back.

Temari rolled her eyes as if to say 'Right, sure', and took her hand back. She shifted Hizuren so that he was looking towards the irritated boy. Shikamaru picked up the spoon and resumed his attempts to feed the kid. Hizuren looked at the boy and decided that he was a new game. He gurgled loudly and tried to knock the spoon out of Shikamaru's hands.

"Hold him still, will you?" Shikamaru said a little too gruffly and saw her stiffen. He looked up and saw her eyes had narrowed. He could see that she was offended. Maybe he had been too quick to anger. He started to apologize when something incredible happened – A little baby caught the genius Konoha jounin unawares. Hizuren managed to reach the spoon and jerked it up with all his might.

-SPLAT!-

The entire contents of the spoon were now in Shikamaru's face, dripping into his eyes and mouth. He dropped the spoon as the food started to sting his eyes, Temari's laughter drowning his curses.

"Oh god, that stings", He said to himself trying to rub his eyes. He stopped after he found that it just increased the burning.

"Wait a minute." Shikamaru heard Temari say.

"Raise your face, close your mouth and keep your eyes open." He heard her say as he stood up to move back.

"Sit back down stupid! You are taller than me. I'm going to pour water on your face, and I can't do it if your face is higher than me. Quit whimpering like a baby and for GOD'S SAKE SIT DOWN!" ordered Temari as Shikamaru was blindly moving around, his eyes still hurting.

Shikamaru sat down and waited for Temari to help him. He heard her opening the water bottle and he raised his face.

Temari glanced down at the boy as he waited expectantly for her to pour water. She tilted the bottle slowly and allowed a small stream of water to fall on the boy's face and watched as his face relaxed with relief when the water cleaned the mess on his eyelids. He cupped his hands and splashed his eyes with the water in his hands.

"Better ?" She asked.

"Very, Thank you" Shikamaru replied as he splashed his face again. "And err… Sorry for snapping at you like that. I guess it was the stress and lack of sleep " He looked up to meet her eyes and she saw that he was sincere. He winced as a little left over baby food dripped onto his eyes from his forehead.

"Wait a minute." Temari said, crouching towards him.

She took out a napkin from her bag and proceeded to wipe Shikamaru's forehead and temple. She was smiling. Shikamaru stared. He hadn't expected that. He was also feeling a bit confused as he watched this new side of the woman that was number two on his 'Most Scary Women' list. He didn't know how to deal with this….this unknown side of her, so he just gaped, open-mouthed.

"What?" Temari asked, her eyes narrowing again.

"No-nothing. Just trying to open my eyes wide, that's all." Shikamaru murmured quickly, looking away.

Temari smiled again. She sat down and picked Hizuren up, put him back into her lap and said, "Go and wash your eyes properly and I'll feed Hizuren."

Shikamaru started to protest, but Temari interrupted him.

"Not because you can't do it, but because I want to feed this cute little baby." Temari said tickling Hizuren.

Shikamaru sighed and stood up as the kid started to laugh and squeal.

"Fine, only because you want to." Shikamaru said as he began to move towards the fountain.

Temari watched him as he shuffled away and smiled as she heard, "Troublesome ….".

"Come now, Hizuren. Let's get you filled up." Temari picked up the spoon and started feeding the little kid.

"He really is lost with kids, you know that Hizuren?" She crooned to the baby as he opened his mouth and took the food in. "Poor Shikamaru!. I'll bet you anything Hizuren, that he is just going on about that 'Can't lose to a woman' pride of his." Temari chuckled. They both turned towards the fountain as they heard Shikamaru sneeze.

"See! Told ya." She filled up another spoon. "Okay, now say Aah."

Shikamaru returned in time to see Temari packing up the bag and Hizuren rolling happily. She was laughing with Hizuren and looked very happy. Shikamaru had never seen her like this and had certainly never heard her laugh in this way. He had only seen her smirk or sometimes laugh with mirth, but had never seen her laugh so freely. Shikamaru decided that he liked her laugh. It wasn't the musical sound that one read about in books, but it was real and suited her.

"What's so funny, scary woman?" Shikamaru asked as his own mouth curved into a smile.

"You, silly." Temari replied as she picked up Hizuren. "He's funny, isn't he funny?" She crooned to the kid as Hizuren giggled happily.

"Well, glad to be of service." Shikamaru smiled back.

"He is such a cute baby. I haven't seen such a happy baby in such a long time." Temari said to Shikamaru as he came and stood beside her.

"Yeah, you're saying that 'cause you're not the one he kept awake all night." Shikamaru said, sighing at the memory of last night. He was still tired, and was already dreading nightfall.

"Well, I think you're just over-reacting." Temari smiled at Shikamaru.

"Tell that to the bag under my eyes." Shikamaru retorted, stifling the urge to snort.

"It's not his fault that you suck with children. I must say, it is funny to see the genius of Konoha, struggling with a kid that has no IQ." Temari laughed as Hizuren tried to grab her ears.

"Of course, please laugh it up. Would you like me to lie on the grass, so you could kick me while I'm down?" Shikamaru asked in a pseudo-polite voice.

"Well, let me see…." Temari pretended to consider his offer.

"Knock it off." Shikamaru said sighing.

"You were the one who started this pity party." Temari grinned back.

In spite of himself, Shikamaru grinned.

"See. It's easy to smile." Temari said and she proceeded to shift Hizuren away from her ears. " I don't know about you, but I would love to go and eat something."

"Ok, where to?" Shikamaru asked.

"You tell me, you're the local." Temari replied.

"Bar-be-que?" Shikamaru asked.

"Okay. Pick up my fan will you." Temari asked Shikamaru.

"Me?" Shikamaru asked wide-eyed.

"No. The little baby in my arms." Temari replied sarcastically.

"B-but—" Shikamaru sputtered.

"Embarrassed ?" Temari asked, eyes twinkling.

"N-no. Of course not" Shikamaru replied. "Let's go."

Shikamaru picked up the fan and the baby bag. Temari propped Hizuren onto her shoulder and started walking. Shikamaru sighed and followed the sandy haired girl. Neither of them noticed the crouched figure hidden in the trees, or felt the pair of eyes on their backs. As the young ninjas walked out of the figures sight, it vanished into a blur.

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><p><strong>AArgghhh! How to make temari a little gentle without going out of character? o_O'<strong>

**Shika is confused... Hizuren has no idea what is happening... but WHAT ABOUT TEMARI? AAARGHHH**

**See you all later..**


	6. Schemes and Stares

**Sorry for taking a while for the update. I have my finals coming up next week so I have study... a lot 'cuz I didn't study at all the entire semester and have no idea what is going on in my syllabus... -_-'.**

**I may take a while but I'll keep writing and update whenever possible d-_-b **

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><p>Shizune was feeling a little uneasy. Ever since Sakura mentioned it, she couldn't help but notice that her master was up to something. Tsunade-sama was doing paperwork without the usual amount of complaining. She occasionally chuckled to herself. She was acting the way she did when she gambled. Shizune was looking at Tsunade pensively when suddenly Tsunade looked up.<p>

"Come in. I was expecting you." She said.

Shizune jumped, "-eh?"

Shizune was about to ask Tsunade-sama if she was all right when a masked figure appeared out of thin air in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Shizune, close the door on your way out." Tsunade-same looked at Shizune.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune bowed and walked to the door. She closed the door behind her and gave a sigh of relief. She had never felt comfortable around the masked ninjas of the ANBU. She found their masks to be a little disconcerting. Even though they were shinobi of her village, she found it hard to feel at ease around them. She didn't want anybody to get her wrong. She respected them. Immensely. Their skill was far above her own, except maybe in medical jutsu, but they still gave her the creeps. She didn't mind at being asked to leave. Some ANBU missions were ANBU-eyes-only. It was just protocol.

"I wonder what that was about…. ", Shizune mused as she walked towards the hospital to see if she could help out while the Hokage was busy...

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><p>Meanwhile, back in the Hokage tower, Tsunade stood up and walked to the window.<p>

"Report." She ordered the owl masked ANBU.

The ANBU nodded and a female voice came out from behind the mask.

" Temari of the Sand went to the park after she left this tower. There she appeared to be walking aimlessly until she saw Nara Shikamaru lying at the west end of the park. She seemed to be pleased at that. She made her way towards him and began a conversation. Nara Shikamaru was there with the late Sandaime's younger grandson. After a few moments Nara Shikamaru pointed the baby to her.. Nara Shikamaru continued to lay down in the shade. Temari of the Sand picked Sarutobi Hizuren up and took him into the shade and played with him there. Nara Shikamaru and Temari of the Sand continued to talk until the baby started to fall asleep. Temari of the sand put him to sleep using Nara Shikamaru's jacket as a mattress and lay down beside the child. She too fell asleep in a few moments. Nara Shikamaru continued to look at them and appeared to be perplexed. Soon after he too closed his eyes and went to sleep. They-"

"How?" Tsunade interrupted.

"Excuse me Hokage-sama-?" the ANBU looked up into the face of her leader.

"How did he fall asleep?" Tsunade asked, still looking out of the window.

"He had appeared tired from the beginning and after the girl and the baby were sleeping, he got bored. I believe that was how he decided to take a nap, Hokage-sama." The ANBU replied, her voice any confusion she may have felt hidden behind the mask.

"I mean his position. Did he lie down next to the child?" Tsunade clarified.

"No, Hokage-sama. He stayed in his initial position against the tree." The ANBU replied.

"OK, continue." Tsunade ordered.

"Yes Hokage-sama." the masked figure nodded and continued, " They slept for three hours and forty three minutes, when Nara Shikamaru woke up. After he looked at the sleeping baby and girl for a few minutes, he called out to Temari of the sand and woke her up. Temari of the Sand nudged and woke up the child. Nara Shikamaru opened a bag that he had with him and took out a package of baby food. Nara Shikamaru had trouble in feeding the baby, but refused help when Temari of the Sand offered. He appeared to be getting more irritated as he struggled with the baby and finally yelled at Temari of the Sand. It appeared as if an argument would break out but the child knocked the spoon of baby mix into Nara Shikamaru's face and eyes. He-"

"Atta-boy Hizuren." Tsunade said warmly. " Continue."

The ANBU nodded and started again.

" Nara Shikamaru was in pain and Temari of the Sand helped him clean his eyes by pouring water onto his face. Nara Shikamaru then apologized for his rudeness. Temari of the Sand insisted to feed the baby and Nara Shikamaru complied. As she fed Sarutobi Hizuren, Nara Shikamaru went to properly wash his face. On his return they both decided to go and eat barbeque. They were on their way to the restaurant as I came to deliver this report. End of report." The ANBU finished and awaited further orders.

"Very well. Continue as before.", Tsunade said turning to face the masked figure kneeling on the floor. Her eyes were shining with glee and excitement.

"Hai Hokage-sama" the masked figure stood up and vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Tsunade sat down at her desk and chuckled.

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><p>As Shizune was walking towards the hospital, she saw Sakura walking towards her and she appeared to be anxious.<p>

"Shizune-sempai, have you seen Shikamaru anywhere?", she asked her senior as she reached her.

"Eh- Shikamaru-kun? No I haven't. Why?" Shizune stopped and looked at the kunoichi in front of her.

"I sent a nurse to the greenhouse this morning and asked her to go over to his apartment and take a look on her way back, but he wasn't home then. I just went there during my break, and he still wasn't home." Sakura said sounding worried. " I hope he and Hizuren are okay."

"Of course they must be okay. Shikamaru-kun is a jounin of Konoha and he is fully capable of protecting Hizuren from any danger." Shizune replied.

Sakura looked at her sempai and sighed.

"You don't understand , Shizune-sempai. I don't think that Hizuren is in any danger from any enemies, but Shikamaru is in danger from Hizuren." Sakura explained.

"Shikamaru-kun?" Shizune asked surprised.

"Yeah. In the morning when I went to check up on Hizuren, Shikamaru looked like he had been thrown off the Hokage tower. I don't think he can look after Hizuren for three more days. " Sakura said remembering Shikamaru's state when he had opened the door.

"And now that you can't find them, you think something has happened?" Shizune said understanding the anxiety of her junior.

"Yes, Shizune-sempai. Will you help me find them? I've already asked Kakashi-sensei and Naruto to look in the northern and western areas of the village. " Sakura smiled with relief and asked.

"I don't think that will be necessary Sakura." Shizune smiled as she looked over Sakura's shoulder.

"Eh- What do you mean sempai? Now is not the time for jokes." Sakura asked surprised and then looked at her senior reproachfully as she saw her smile.

"Shikamaru-kun is all right Sakura. It looks like he has found some help." Shizune giggled and pointed over Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura turned around and looked over to where Shizune was pointing and stared. There was Shikamaru, walking alongside Temari who had Hizuren in her arms. Temari was playing with Hizuren and the baby was also enjoying himself. Shikamaru was smiling his one-sided smile as he looked on to the duo walking beside him. Smiling and- wait, was he carrying Temari's fan on HIS back?

"Close your mouth Sakura, it looks rude." Shizune admonished her younger friend, trying to stifle a laugh. She herself found the entire scene funny.

"Are you seeing this, Shizune-sempai?" asked Sakura, surprise dripping from every word.

"Yes I am, Sakura." Shizune replied, trying her best to make a straight face.

"I'll call off the search then." Both girls jumped as a lazy voice sounded from behind them.

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Kakashi-san"

Sakura and Shizune looked over their shoulders and saw a familiar masked face with a book in his hand. He was looking at the approaching trio as well.

"How come you are here, sensei? Weren't you supposed to be searching for them?" Sakura asked as Kakashi closed his book and walked forward to join the girls.

"Naruto had it under control with his hundred or so clones. Anyway, I summoned Pakkun as well, so I was waiting for his return on the roof when I heard you two down here. Better summon him again to find Naruto and tell him to stop looking." Kakashi sighed and made the hand seals.

"Kuchiyose-no-jutsu." He slammed his palm to the ground and Pakkun arrived in a puff of smoke .

"Hey! I wasn't done yet." The small pug complained, and then sniffed the air and started licking his paws.

"Ahh.. Found him did you?" He asked looking over to the trio and was surprised into halting mid-lick.

"Well well, lookie lookie, what have we here?" Pakkun asked straightening up.

"All that later Pakkun. First find Naruto or his clone and tell him to stop looking." Kakashi looked down at his dog-summon.

" 'kay." The little dog took off towards the center of the village.

"But seriously Kakashi-sensei, don't they look adorable?" asked a giggling Sakura, who had recovered during the above exchange.

Shizune also burst out giggling and clutched Sakura as she shook with fits of giggles.

"Shi-Shikamaru-kun looks so cute with that fan on his back." Shizune managed to wheeze out between giggles.

"He certainly looks the way his father did when Yoshino-san made him carry her stuff back in the day." Kakashi said his eyes twinkling, the little orange book forgotten in his hands, closed.

"I've always thought that they looked good together whenever she was in here…." Sakura said.

"Shh. Here they come. Looks like they haven't seen us yet." Kakashi silenced his ex-student as the subjects of their talk got closer.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru was smiling but he was feeling a little tense. He looked over to Temari. She was playing with the kid so she probably hadn't noticed the glances in their directions. He had. He had also noticed when a shouting and running Konohamaru had stopped in his tracks and stared at them until his teammate Moegi had dragged him away. He had also noticed when Shino had looked over his shoulder to glance at them after passing them on the street. He had almost given in to the urge to walk a good ten feet behind the girl and the baby when he saw his teammate Ino stare at them from her shop with her nose all but pressed against the window glass. He was sure this news would be all over Konoha by nightfall.<p>

It wasn't that he was with Temari that people noticed, he was always with her as an escort during chuunin exams for that to raise any eyebrows. No, what they were staring at was the entire sight of them together. SHE, carrying the kid and HE, carrying HER fan. What was worse that this time, he wouldn't even have the excuse of an escort mission to hide behind. Even a few civilians that he was acquaintances with , like the old man Ichiraku, were whispering . And the blasted woman didn't even notice. How did she become jounin, anyways?

It was then that he noticed a group of familiar faces looking in his direction, a flash of pink, a masked face and a lady with a pig in her arms.

'Aw crap' was the last thought in his mind as he saw them moving purposefully in their direction.

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><p><strong>More characters YAY!<strong>

**I wrote Kakashi into the scene cuz out of everyone, I think he knows more about the going-ons in konoha than anybody else... and cuz He is AWESOME!**

**ps- is Temari ooc ? **

**I thought she can't be scary all the time, right? **


	7. Interrogation and Prayers

**Sorry everyone, for taking so long to update...** **^_^ but I've been really busy with my relocating, new job and all... I still haven't found a good place for myself. Who knew it was so hard...? :-(**

**Anyways... back on topic. I'm sorry if I get late in the future too, cuz between my work and flat hunting, I am not getting much of free time these days. Sundays are the only days when I can take a breather...**

**Please don't stop reading... 'Kay... ^_^**

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><p>Temari was tickling Hizuren when he stopped his giggles as he saw Sakura and raised his arms to her. Temari looked up and saw the Konoha-nin walking to them.<p>

Shikamaru felt hair rising on the back of his neck. He could feel danger. They were going to roast him alive. He just knew it.

"It's nice to see you outside Temari-san." Sakura said. "I was afraid you would stay cooped up inside the inn all day."

"Ah, yes. It is a beautiful day and it would have been a pity to stay indoors." Temari replied and handed a struggling Hizuren to Sakura, much to the baby's delight.

"I'm glad that Tsunade-sama assigned Shikamaru-kun to escort you after all." Shizune said. She glanced at Shikamaru and gave him the widest smile he had ever seen on her face.

Temari looked at Shikamaru uncertainly, as if waiting for his cue.

'Troublesome.' Shikamaru thought. Of all the times to look to him for directions, the scary woman chooses the time when he is equally clueless.

Shikamaru sighed and looked straight at Shizune. She knew the truth. He could see it in her smile. They all knew. What was worse was that they knew he knew, that they knew. But they wanted him to say it.

Troublesome.

"Ahem- um No, Hokage-sama hasn't assigned me to escort Temari. We just met in the park by coincidence." Shikamaru supplied an answer to the group, and immediately cursed himself for calling the scary woman by her name- without a suffix, no less. He hoped no one noticed. He saw the troublesome woman look his way with half an eyebrow raised.

Great, he thought. Now she decides to be observant. All the way here she doesn't notice the stares and whispers, but this she notices. Troublesome.

"Oh, is that so?" Sakura asked, feigning ignorance, as she played with Hizuren. She looked up at both of them and smiled. Again, Shikamaru felt hair standing on his neck. This was it, he could tell.

"It must have been so nice for you Temari-san, to see a familiar face in a sea of strangers." Sakura said and she handed Hizuren back to Temari. "Wasn't it?" She looked at Temari and smiled.

"Um.. Yeah, I guess." Temari replied, feeling oddly uncomfortable.

"Of course it was Sakura." Shizune said to the pinklet. "It's always nice to see people we like. It is human nature. That's why we like to spend time with them. It is because they make us happy." Shizune said to Sakura in an explaining tone.

"Eh-.. Wait-what? Temari started to say, but both the girls were in full flow. They were now talking about liking someone subconsciously .

"Of course it must have been nice for her." Shikamaru interceded. "Just like she feels that it is nice she is meeting all of you here." Shikamaru smirked. He felt good about his explanation. They couldn't deny that it wasn't nice for the scary woman to see him, but it didn't mean anything, at least not the way their interrogators wanted it… it didn't, right? He'd think about it later. Right now, he had more pressing matters.

Temari nodded in agreement. The medic duo, however, looked as if someone had taken the wind out of their sails. Shikamaru felt relieved. They didn't call him a genius for nothing.

The next attack came from an unexpected source. Kakashi looked at Temari and asked, "So, what did you guys do at the park?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru was surprised.

Sakura looked at Shikamaru and gave him a big hard smile.

"Of course, Temari-san, tell us about your day. I hope you had fun at the park." Sakura joined in and went closer to Temari. "You left us in the morning and now it's the middle of the day. What did you do all this time?"

Shikamaru cursed his luck. Kakashi and Sakura were an old team. They understood each other very well. It didn't take the old student any time at all to get where her sensei was going with this. Damn them!

"It was really different from my normal day." Temari said looking at Hizuren. "It was fun to loll around, doing nothing." She smiled again

"Lolling around, doing nothing? Sounds like a normal Shikamaru day." Shizune laughed. "Be careful, Temari-san or you'll become like him."

"Hey!" Shikamaru objected.

"Yeah, you're right Shizune-san. But don't worry. I'll be careful." Temari said.

"Wait-What? I don't loll around anymore. Ever since I got promoted, Hokage-sama has worked me to the bone." Shikamaru complained. "Geez….. If I had known becoming a jounin would be so troublesome….." Shikamaru rubbed his neck as he mumbled.

Temari and Shizune laughed.

"Anyway, it was fun." Temari said grinning. " I got to meet this cute little baby and play with him." She pointed to Hizuren.

"Aww, he is really cute, isn't he?" Sakura asked and she ruffled the baby's hair. "So, you played with Hizuren all day?" she asked looking up at Temari.

" For a while, then we both took a little nap." Temari raised Hizuren above her head as he giggled with delight. "After we woke up, this lazy guy tried to feed him. Failed miserably, I might add." She continued.

"You mean you had a small picnic with the three of you." Shizune said, her eyes shining. " I can almost picture it."

Shikamaru shuffled his feet. He didn't like where this was going.

" Yeah, but I had to feed him while lazy over here went to wash his eye, which had baby food in it." Temari laughed.

"Poor Shikamaru-kun." , Sakura also joined in the laughter.

"Great, gang up on me, all of you." Shikamaru sighed.

"It felt really nice, you know?" Temari said, as if thinking aloud. "Spending time in a park, with these guys."

"Ahh! Yes, Temari-san. I'm sure." Sakura smiled, and she looked at Shikamaru again.

"I know the feeling, Temari-san." Shizune said and she took Temari's free hand into her own. "It feels almost as if you could get used to it."

Shikamaru sighed again. The sharks had smelled blood and were circling for the kill with the scary woman acting stupid. He was thinking of a way out when he heard a chuckle and he looked up. Even from behind the mask it was clear that Kakashi was the culprit. Their eyes met. There was amusement and sympathy in his eyes. The former more than the latter. He knew what was happening and he knew that there was no easy way out. Only a miracle could save Shikamaru now.

Shikamaru looked at the sky…. and prayed for one.

Tsunade was doodling on a D-rank mission report when the ANBU appeared at the window.

"What happened?" Tsunade asked without looking up. The masked figure lowered its head and spoke.

"You asked me to report any new developments, Hokage-sama."

"Yes, I did." Tsunade affirmed. "What are the developments?"

The ANBU started reporting, "Nara Shikamaru and Temari of the sand ran into your students and Kakashi of the sharingan." The ANBU paused and looked up, waiting.

Tsunade didn't reply. The ANBU took it as a signal to continue.

"Nara Shikamaru appears to be getting more and more uncomfortable as the conversation progresses."

"What are they talking about?" Tsunade asked as she dropped her pen on the table and leaned back into her chair.

"I couldn't hear from the distance, Hokage-sama." The ANBU replied, with a hint of shame entering the otherwise neutral voice.

"Why don't you go closer?" Tsunade asked looking at the ANBU.

"I would go closer Hokage-sama, if he wasn't there. But right now, I would run the risk of being found out. I am sorry, Hokage-sama." The ANBU replied, bowing its lower.

"Hmmm… Yes, you are right. Kakashi is bound to notice. Not that he will interfere, but I would like him to know nothing about this." Tsunade mused.

Tsunade turned and looked at the ANBU Bowing low and felt bad for the poor figure. The ANBU was of a seasoned team, but she had been a part of a jounin team under Kakashi before her induction, so she understood Kakashi's prowess. Tsunade felt she should say something.

"You did well. Maintain your distance." Tsunade said.

"What are your orders, Hokge-sama?" The ANBU raised its head and asked.

"Return. I will deal with this." Tsunade smiled, thinking.

The ANBU bowed and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade leaned forward and joined her fingertips and thought for a minute , smiling.

Those three were easy to handle. She was the hokage, after all.

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it...<strong>

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Friendship and surprises

**Finalllyyyyyy! Sorry for the late update... I hope you guys will forgive me, I am still very busy with work and it is very difficult to find the necessary time to sit down and write...**

**All of you guys who are still students... LIVE TO THE FULLEST... cuz It's just not the same once you get a job and have to work...**

**Anyways... enjoy! **

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><p>Shikamaru glanced to his right to sneak a view of the girl walking beside him. She was totally occupied by the brat in her arms as she pointed out things to him and cooed softly. They were heading to the bar-be-cue restaurant to get some lunch after getting away from the interrogation, as Shikamaru thought of it, for it had been exactly that. He couldn't believe the sudden good luck the gods had decided to throw his way. He had been sure that his friends had managed to trap him between a rock and a hard place when an anxious looking young nurse from the Konoha hospital had come running out and informed the medic nins that Tsunade sama had asked for the blood reports of the latest flu victims and both of her apprentices immediately. Sakura and Shizune had left then, disappointed about the timing of their teacher's summons.<p>

Kakashi had disappeared in a swirling of leaves soon after the kunoichi left. Shikamaru deduced, correctly of course, that the copy ninja didn't want to be outnumbered by two of the best strategists of their generation. Shikamaru had a sneaky feeling that they hadn't heard the last of this. As they were left alone, they started walking towards their original destination to lunch.

Shikamaru returned his wandering thoughts to the present as he continued to walk on.

"Jeez- Those guys can really be troublesome sometimes." Shikamaru complained.

He looked at Temari as she turned her head and looked him straight in the eyes questioningly.

"Sorry about that." Shikamaru continued. "Those guys don't think before they do things."

Temari frowned. "What are you talking about, stupid? They were just making conversation. I agree that their discussion on the subconscious and the psyche was not really my cup of tea." She shrugged, "but those guys are medic nins, so it's understandable that those guys find it interesting. If they wanted to talk about it, they can. What are you apologizing for?"

Temari frowned at Shikamaru as he muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "- Baka"

"What did you say, crybaby?" She growled as a vein started throbbing dangerously near her forehead.

Fortunately for Shikamaru, Hizuren decided at that moment that he didn't like being ignored and tried to pull at Temari's ponytail making small noises. Temari turned her face towards Hizuren and once again, Shikamaru felt amazed at the change in the expression on the girls face. If anybody saw Temari now, they would have a hard time understanding why Shikamaru called her 'scary woman'. Nothing on the sandy haired kunoichi's face indicated that she had earned that name. Shikamaru felt confused, and it was not a feeling he relished, but he had sufficient self-preservation instincts to know better than to voice his thoughts.

"Hai hai-" Temari cooed to the infant in her arms who was demanding her attention. She chuckled as the baby gave her a giggle in response. Shikamaru saw that the girl and the child fell back into their exploration game as Temari pointed out different colored objects to the much amused infant. Shikamaru wondered as to how easily Temari was handling the child. He was sure that even if he were to do the same thing, the brat wouldn't give two hoots and would probably start crying. The blasted kid was playing favorites.

Shikamaru sighed.

Even if it was true, Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of his eyes. He saw Temari pointing to a balloon vendor on the side of the road and the many colored balloons floating in the air. Hizuren recognized the bright colored objects as something his mother gave him to play and started to reach out towards the direction of the vendor.

"What's this?" Temari asked softly as she followed his line of sight. "Do you want a balloon?" She smiled as Hizuren continued to reach for the bright balloons, while making baby like noises. "Okay, okay. Calm down, little one. "

Temari looked at Shikamaru and commanded in a typical Temari voice. "Oi crybaby, go buy one."

"Eh-?" Shikamaru asked in surprise, "Me?"

Temari gave him an impatient look and said, "Any other crybaby here?"

Shikamaru looked pointedly at the baby in her arms and smirked. Temari's gave him a blank look.

"Why me?" Shikamaru asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Because I'm holding this little bundle joy." Temari retorted. "Besides, would you ask a woman to pay when there is a man around?" She smirked back at him. "Wouldn't that be troublesome?"

"Not falling for that." Shikamaru replied still standing his ground.

"Oh stop wasting time, just go and get one." Temari said exasperated.

"You can't boss me around, scary woman." Shikamaru drew himself up to his full height and looked Temari in the eyes.

He saw Temari narrowing her eyes that started to flash dangerously and hastily started towards the balloon stand mumbling "- I'm joking, joking. Sheesh…. No sense of humor."

Shikamaru bought a red balloon for the child. As he paid for it and turned, he saw Temari looking at one of the balloons. He looked behind him and his eyes fell on another balloon that was a deep shade of purple. Shikamaru smirked and bought that one as well. He walked back to where Temari was trying to keep Hizuren from jumping out of her arms in his hurry to get the balloon.

"Here you go, troublesome brat." Shikamaru smiled as he held out the red balloon. Hizuren reached out to touch the balloon as Shikamaru tied the balloon string to the child's little wrist. "And here you go, troublesome woman." He smirked as he held the purple balloon out to Temari.

"What is this? Why are you giving this to me? " Temari asked as Shikamaru sighed.

"You don't want it? I thought you were looking at it like you wanted it, so I bought this for you." Shikamaru said as seriously as he could, knowing that any sort of smile or smirk would lead to serious injury to his person.

"What am I? Ten? "Temari hissed at Shikamaru as he tried to look as if he offering a balloon to a jounin was the most natural thing in the world.

"If you don't want it, I guess I should just let it go?" Shikamaru asked nonchalantly as loosened his grip to allow the long string to pass though.

"WAIT!" Temari exclaimed and snatched the string out from Shikamaru's hands. "I mean- You've already paid for it, right? No need to waste money like that. It's not like I want it or anything, understand? " Temari said as she looped the string around Hizuren's other wrist.

Shikamaru finally smiled and replied, "Of course. I understand perfectly." He immediately went back to his serious face as Temari looked up at him sharply, but on seeing no hint of sarcasm on his face relaxed and looked up at the balloons floating above them as Hizuren started to move his arms to make the balloons move.

"Smart kid." Temari smiled softly and started walking. "He'll grow up to be a strong ninja."

Shikamaru just smiled as he joined Temari. They began walking at a sedate pace. Hizuren was happy looking at his colorful balloons. They passed the academy and the park where academy students were eating from their boxes, running around. Shikamaru was enjoying the walk when he heard Temari sigh. He looked at the girl at his side and saw that she was gazing at the children. Then she shifted her gaze to the clouds.

"Why the sad little sigh, woman?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

Temari didn't reply and they kept walking. Shikamaru didn't ask again and they continued walking in silence. Suddenly Shikamaru noticed that he was walking alone and turned to see that Temari had stopped a few steps behind him, still gazing up at the sky. He felt curious, but didn't deem it wise to ask anything. So he just stood and waited as he tried to replay their past dialogues to figure out if he had said anything to bring this sudden change in her mood. Temari was still looking up when she spoke suddenly.

"All of you guys are really tight, aren't you?" She didn't look at him but continued to look at the clouds.

Shikamaru understood that she was talking about his friends.

"Yeah. But those guys can be a drag at times… " Shikamaru said. He shuffled back to stand next to her and ran his hand over Hizuren's head as he stole a glance at Temari's face. He couldn't decipher any emotion on the tanned face, so he waited. Temari didn't say anything immediately. Finally Temari sighed again and took her eyes away from the sky and looked at the ponytailed jounin of the leaf with a weird look on her face.

"You're odd." She said simply. "Have I ever told you that?" She asked.

"Once or twice, maybe." Shikamaru suppressed a grin.

"Yes, you are." She grinned at him. "Anybody else would have started asking questions, but not you."

"I figured you'd talk soon enough. Never saw a woman leave a sentence like you did and then not say anything later." Shikamaru rolled his head to face her and smirked.

"Of course, how could I forget? I'm dealing with the genius. You probably know what I'm gonna say already." Temari replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"So?" Shikamaru asked. "Spit it already… I admit that waiting was getting troublesome." Shikamaru raised his arms and stretched a bit before looking at Temari.

"I feel it every time I come here." Temari said and looked as if she wanted to sigh again.

"Feel what?" Shikamaru asked, curious. He had been just playing the waiting game and had no idea what Temari was getting at.

"How close you guys are. And I don't mean just you and your team, but all of you guys. Right down from that stiff Hyuuga to that pathetic orange excuse for a ninja. Even that creepy bug user." She walked to the tree on the side of the road and leaned on to it. Shikamaru followed her.

"So?" He queried.

"I mean, all of you are on different levels. All of you are totally different from each other, yet you all respect each other." She turned her head to look at him as he repeated.

"So?"

"Back in Suna, I've never seen it." She breathed. "I've never been like that with anyone. Before Gaara changed, I always avoided him. Even Kankuro and I weren't that close to each other. Our father raised us to believe that we could only trust ourselves. Although that changed after those chuunin exams and the three of us became close, I still never felt like it with anyone else in Suna." Temari stopped and took a breath and continued, "I am treated as kind of royalty in Suna. During my father's reign, I was the daughter of the Kazekage, and now I'm the sister of the Kazekage. People are just too scared of either Gaara, me, Kankuro or all of us to really just have a normal conversation. I never get to relax. I have to continuously act the way it is expected of me. And I manage it. But whenever I come here, I see you guys goofing around. I always thought I had an ally in the Hyuuga, but even he loosens up a little when it's just you guys. It is these times that I remember that I have no friends and I-"

"Oi stupid woman." Shikamaru interrupted. "What do you mean you have no friends? All of us here are and always will be your friends. " Shikamaru shook his head as he went on. "Don't let me hear you say such stupid things again or I'll tell all the others. I'm sure they will want to talk to you after that. Especially Naruto." He smirked at the girl standing next to him.

"Don't." She smiled back, "I'm not sure I want that brat's friendship-no-jutsu."

"Friendship-no-jutsu?"Shikamaru stared at Temari.

"Ehem.. Yeah, that is what Kankuro calls what Naruto did to Gaara, you know. Changed him with the power of friendship and all that. " She replied looking away from him.

'Is she getting red? ' thought Shikamaru.

"Yeah, I get it. But all that stupid stuff aside, we are your friends. You should understand that." Shikamaru replied, a little amused by this rare sight of an embarrassed Temari.

"But you are from Konoha and I'm from Suna. We are from different villages and despite everything, we could be enemies in the future." Temari replied as she looked back to Shikamaru, with a hint of some emotion that Shikamaru couldn't pick up.

'Troublesome' He thought.

"I think that is highly unlikely as long as Gaara is Kazekage. Naruto will never let that happen, trust me. When he becomes Hokage, both our villages will become even closer." He stated confidently.

"You say 'When' not 'If'." Temari asked him, watching him closely. "Are you that sure? You believe that he will become Hokage?" Temari asked. But it was not really a question. Even she knew the answer to that. Sometimes she could believe it herself.

"I do." Shikamaru stated simply. "It's kind of hard not to. Naruto makes you believe in him. It's something about him that makes me believe that he will become Hokage."

"And you are sure that Suna and Konoha will remain allies forever?" She asked. Shikamaru felt as if she wanted him to agree and justify his belief. He sighed and gazed at the baby in her arms still fascinated with the balloons.

"I can't say about forever, but I am sure about our and his generation." He remarked pointing to the Baby. "As long as Gaara is alive, he will also never let anything destroy our friendship. That being said, he is also strong. I doubt anyone in your village will be foolish to try to take him out to get the Kazekage's mantle in the middle of the bloody desert, with all that sand around. "

"Akatsuki almost did. Orochimaru killed my father." Temari whispered, as she remembered the fear she had felt all those years ago.

"I doubt anybody in your village will drop a bomb on the village that Gaara will have to sacrifice himself to block." Shikamaru sighed, countering Temari's statement. "And I don't know much about your father, but I'm pretty sure Gaara is stronger."

"You have to be the know-it-all, don't you?" Temari smiled at him. Shikamaru also smiled. The insult didn't have any real depth behind it so he just shrugged in answer.

"My father was also strong. Scarily so, in fact. But he wasn't a quick thinker and I think that Orochimaru must have tricked him." Temari smiled weakly. "I got my brains from my mother." Temari fell silent after she said that.

Shikamaru had never heard Temari talk about her mother, although he had complained about his mother to her quite a lot. He knew about her mother, of course. He had been there when Naruto had told Sakura what Gaara had been told about her. He had understood her to be gentle and caring.

"She was quite like your mother, you know?" Temari ventured after a while. That caused Shikamaru to question his earlier assessment of Karura of the Sand. Gentle and caring were not the words he would use to describe someone like his mother. He was about to say something to this regard when he suddenly stopped.

'Wait. How is she talking about my mother as if she knows her? I've never introduced them to each other. They don't know each other, do they? Surely someone would have told me.' Shikamaru's brain worked fast.

Shikamaru voiced his question.

"You're talking like you know my mother, but I've never introduced you guys." He let it sink in.

"Oh, I've met your mother. She is so sweet." Temari replied. "Didn't you know?"

Shikamaru felt a chill going down his spine. His mother? Sweet? Scary more like it.

"When?" He asked.

"Last time I was here, about four months ago. You were out on a mission. I needed references to the border patrol treaty that was signed last year so your father suggested I go get it from your backup files. I met your mother when I went to your house." Temari said remembering the occasion. She smiled.

"She helped me look for it and later invited me for dinner." Temari continued.

"WAIT! I keep those files in my room. Are you trying to tell me that you and my mother were looking around in my room?" Shikamaru asked aghast, his mouth open.

"Of course, you lazy-ass. How else was I supposed to find it?" Temari asked, amused at his discomfiture. "Don't worry, we didn't find your porn stash if that is what you are worried about." She smirked relishing the fidgeting Shikamaru was doing.

"I don't have a porn stash, you stupid woman." He said, gritting his teeth, heat reaching his face as Temari laughed.

"So anyways, moving on from your porn stash. (Shikamaru spluttered that he DID NOT have porn stash but was ignored.) I went to your house again in the evening. She was so nice and warm. We talked a lot." Temari remembered and smiled at the memory.

"What about?" Shikamaru asked incensed. "Better not have told her what I say about her."

"It may come as a surprise to you, lazy bum, but not everything is about you." Temari shot back. "And if I had, you would think you'd know, wouldn't you?"

Shikamaru agreed. If his mother had of heard his complaining, he shuddered at the thought.

Temari looked at him as if he was something weird and said, "Anyways, she was really nice. I had formed a different image in my mind from all the stories you've whined at me for the past years. She was nothing like that. At first I was a little scared, but she soon put me at ease."

"You sure you met my mother? Are you sure you went to my house and not someone else's?" Shikamaru asked Temari with a frown.

"Oh stop it. Your mother is nice." Temari swatted at his shoulder with her free hand.

"I still think you are confused." Shikamaru said.

Temari gave a big sigh and then looked at Shikamaru soberly. " We were talking about food when I mentioned that I loved the tomato soup my mother used to make for me before, you know, she died, and I hadn't had it since then 'cause no one in the household knew how to make it." She paused and looked straight into Shikamaru's eyes. Shikamaru was surprised to see that her eyes were shining, as if holding back the water trying to break free. "She made it for me that night, Shikamaru." Temari said quietly. Shikamaru didn't know what to say to that. He did notice her use of his name. Temari sighed again and pushed away from the tree they were leaning against and started walking again.

"So that was when you met my mother, then?" Shikamaru asked as he fell in step with the sandy haired girl.

"Yeah." She replied.

"I guess you would want to meet her again, but as I told you, she and my dad are on a vacation to" Shikamaru was saying but Temari interrupted him.

"Land of hot springs. "

Shikamaru stared at the girl. "How did you know?" He demanded.

"She told me in her last letter that she wanted to go on vacation as your father was going to get some free time soon." Temari looked at him questioningly as he saw him tense up. " what happened?"

"Y-you and my mother write to each other?" Shikamaru tried to get around this thought and failed.

"Of course" the kunoichi replied smirking. "Who do you think gave your mother the idea about a hot springs tour?" She smiled as his mouth fell open and he stopped walking and stared at her.

She chuckled and kept walking. After a few steps she turned to see him still standing in the same spot with the same look on his face and chuckled again. Then she asked " You coming or what?" as she started walking again as Shikamaru jumped out of paralysis ant sped up to catch up to her. As he reached her, he couldn't help but smile at the grin she was sporting on her face and murmured "Troublesome."

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><p><strong>Ahhh poor shino-kun... being called creepy!<strong>

**P.s- for all those who don't know Karura was Temari's mother's name.  
><strong>

**I felt sad while writing about the soup thing. As not much is known about Yoshino nara's behaviour outside her husband and son's complaining, I decided to make her a sweet person (still pretty scary when she wants to be) and made her and Temari like each other.  
><strong>

**Any feedback is appreciated...  
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	9. Barbeque

**I'mmm Baaaaackk... I seem to always start with apologizing for my lateness lately. So without breaking tradition, once again- Sorry for the late update.****  
><strong>

**I must say, I have newfound respect for all the authors who manage to update on schedule time and again. When I started writing, I had no idea it was so difficult... 0_0'  
><strong>

**I will try to update as soon as time allows...  
><strong>

**As always, Thank you bearing with my lateness... Enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Bar-be-que<br>**

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><p>Temari looked around the Bar-be-Que restaurant as Shikamaru gave their order to the old lady that had come up to their table. She seemed to be pleased to see Shikamaru and it was apparent that she knew his choices before he had ordered them.<p>

"And a side order of mackerel to round things up, I presume." She smiled down to Shikamaru. Shikamaru returned the smile with a nod. The lady then turned to Temari and asked if she wanted to add anything to the order. Temari shook her head. The lady looked at Temari as if giving her a once over. Temari felt a little uncomfortable under the old matron's gaze, but then the lady smiled, as if satisfied and nodded towards Hizuren who was sitting on the table playing with the balloons, turned to look at Shikamaru again. "Babysitting mission, Shikamaru-kun? I thought you were a high level ninja now. "

"It's not a mission, oba-san. He is Azuma's son. I'm looking after him because Kurenai-sensei has the flu'." Shikamaru explained, smiling.

Temari noticed that the lady's eyes softened on hearing the boy's reply. "Azuma-kun's, huh?" She ruffled the baby's hair gently. "He's sure to become strong like his father." She sighed remembering all the times Team 10 had been at her shop. "All of you were so little Shikamaru-kun, and now look at you. Almost at the age when you have little ones of your own."

"I'm just looking after him for a few days, not permanently. I'm not that old, oba-san. I still have many years before that. Besides, what girl will have me?" Shikamaru laughed back.

Temari was surprised. It was rare to see the lazy jounin hold a length of conversation with people without sighing or muttering 'troublesome' now and again unless it had anything to do with a mission. Yet here he was _actually joking. _

The lady frowned on hearing Shikamaru's reply. "Any girl will be lucky to have you, Shikamaru-kun. Any girl who refuses you doesn't deserve you."

"If you say so, oba-san." Shikamaru shook his head, still smiling.

"Of course." The lady put a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and began to move away. "Your order will be up in a few minutes."

Shikamaru looked up to find Temari gazing at him meditatively. He smiled and asked her about it. Temari leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table and tilted her head to one side and looked at the genius sitting before her, calm and smiling.

"Seems like she knows you well." She voiced.

"Yeah, she does. Our team has been coming here for years, ever since we made genin. This is our team bonding spot right here. It felt troublesome in the beginning but now I find myself coming here often, so oba-san knows our team pretty well because of. Also, Chouji is also quite often here and strings me along as this is a popular Akimichi haunt. This part of town was spared Pein's destruction, so this restaurant is one of the few original structures from before the attack. We used to have all our celebrations right here, at this very table. We still meet once every 15 days for team night. " Shikamaru explained as he unconsciously mimicked Temari by leaning forward on the table. He had a calm look on his face, like the one he always wore when he gazed at the clouds.

"This place has memories." He sighed.

Temari studied his features as Shikamaru delved into old memories. He smiled slightly at some memory and Temari noticed the gentle curve of his lips as he shook his head. From where Temari was sitting, she noticed the way the other side of his lips were moving. Temari smiled as she remembered a conversation she'd had with Nara Yoshino and she had described to Temari what the elder woman called the 'Nara male smile'- the other side of the lip moving as if to lift into a curve but deciding that it was not worth the effort and too troublesome. Temari smiled at the apt description the Nara woman had used.

Shikamaru looked up and found two orbs of green gazing at him. He marveled, like he had done before at how those orbs could change to instill fear into those that looked into their gaze. How could he have not noticed their depth before? He looked up to the sand colored hair and then down to the small nose-

Someone tapped on the window and the moment was broken. They both turned and saw a certain blonde, orange wearing ninja pressed against the window grinning. Shikamaru sighed as Temari frowned at the sight. Said orange wearing ninja grinned even wider and ran towards the door and came in, up to their table.

"Oi Shikamaru, because of you going AWOL, Sakura-chan had me and Kakashi-sensei look all over for you, while you were enjoying your picnic. Not cool, dattebayo!" Naruto complained, grinning. "You gotta treat me to ramen."

"How is it my fault, that Sakura made you look for me? I was doing my job. Besides, I'm sure you didn't look yourself and just used clones while you trained by yourself. Am I right?" Shikamaru replied, raising an eyebrow. People still believed that Naruto was stupid and naïve, Shikamaru was the only person, among the so-called Konoha 11, who stopped believing that Naruto was stupid years ago when he showed planning and cunning during his chuunin exams. He had seen that Naruto may not be book smart, but he had brains, which he hid behind his stupid grin. His life as a former prankster was proof of it. How many other people could boast of setting traps that caught even ANBU unawares?

Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, "You caught me there, heh heh..."

Shikamaru smirked back. But Naruto wasn't done. He looked as if he had thought of another reason.

"But I still used chakra, so it counts as helping, right Temari-chan?" Naruto turned to Temari who was also smirking at the sight before her. All three of them knew that Shikamaru would finally give up and agree to treat Naruto. She made a face as she looked at Naruto.

"Don't you –chan me, brat. Have you forgotten the beating you got last time? If you have, I'll gladly remind you of it. You don't want to die a genin, do you?" She growled. It didn't have the effect she wanted, of course.

"But I'm not a genin any more Temari-chan." Naruto declared as he puffed out his chest. "I'm a tokubetsu jounin now-ttebayo"

Temari was surprised. This was the first time she had heard of it. Gaara hadn't mentioned it either.

"When did it happen? Does Gaara know?" She asked curious. Naruto grinned .

"Last month." He replied. "Of course Gaara knows. I told him that soon he will be dealing with me instead of Baa-chan, Dattebayo" Naruto raised his fist above his head and almost jumped.

Temari was disappointed that Gaara had known and hadn't told her. But then they didn't talk about these things. She had never told him about her conversations with the pineapple head either, so she guessed it never occurred to Gaara that she might be interested to know about the energetic blonde. Still she retorted.

"But I'm a jounin, so you're still below my rank. Address me as such. Don't call me -chan" She smirked.

"Aww… but Temari-chan, that's what I call Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan and Tenten-chan and Hanabi-chan and Ayame-chan and Moegi- ch-" Naruto started as he made a face that looked like a pout.

"That doesn't mean you can call me that, brat." Temari cut in as it looked the list Naruto was sprouting would go on and on.

"But that is what I call my friends Temari –chan." Naruto crossed his arms and clearly pouted. What was scary was that it looked good on him. Temari shuddered and looked at Shikamaru who was obviously enjoying the position that Naruto had just put her in. She didn't have any response to that. He had said that she was her friend, albeit not directly, but he had said it. She couldn't very well deny him calling her what he called his other friends unless she said that they weren't friends. Temari sighed. While she didn't see what her brother saw in Naruto, she held the blonde in high regard, though she never said so to anybody. Anybody who could go toe-to-toe with Gaara in his beast form deserved her respect. Naruto had not only done that while he was tired and broken after a heavy fight with the Hyuuga, he had defeated Gaara. He was the only surviving member of a club that had only three members- he, himself, the blonde Akatsuki member (but in Temari's mind, the Akatsuki agent had cheated so didn't really deserve to be there.) and the zombie Madara that had been revived by the creepy snake bastard part 2.

"Fine." Shikamaru replied as he shook his head and smirked. "I'll treat you at Ichiraku's later."

"YAY!" Naruto burst out and jumped and punched his fist in the air.

Temari came out of her reverie and sighed.

"Chan is for cute things and girly-girls, not me." She huffed at the grinning buffoon. Naruto grinned even wider, causing his eyes to almost close and become inverted 'U's.

"But you _are_ cute, Temari-chan." Naruto laughed. Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle at the surprised face that Temari had on right then. Naruto glanced at Shikamaru and smiled a wicked grin that reminded Shikamaru of a young Naruto that had sat in the academy and plotted pranks. He was filled with foreboding.

"Why else do you think Shikamaru still acts as an escort even though he is now a jounin? He even schedules his missions so as to avoid being out of the village when you are coming." Naruto leaned down towards Temari and whispered in a voice that carried perfectly as Shikamaru stiffened. "If it weren't for Hinata-chan and Shikamaru, I'd totally go after you, dattebayo." Naruto smiled a foxy grin as he continued to lean further in.

Temari Felt the blood rush to her face as she processed his words. She saw Naruto grinning wide as her hand reached out to her back for her fan but couldn't find it because the fan was on the other side of the table next to a red faced Shikamaru.

"WHY, YOU LITTLE –" Temari snarled as she struck out with her other hand, but Naruto easily dodged and jumped up to the ceiling so that he was standing upside down and grinned.

"Bye Bye…" he waved and promptly vanished.

"WAIT TILL I GET MY HA-" Temari stood up and was looking around when the owner lady hurried over.

"What is going on here?" She asked as she reached their table and looked towards from a red Shikamaru to a red Temari.

"Naruto." Shikamaru only offered one word and the old lady nodded in understanding.

"Ahh.. say no more, Shikamaru-kun." She replied as she gently directed Temari back to her seat. "That boy's sense of humor will be the death of him one of these days. Forget about him. No need to ruin your date over small things." She advised

"Huh-?" was all Shikamaru could manage before she walked off calling out to her employees asking what was taking the food so long.

Both ninja gained control of their emotions as their food arrived and was set down on their table. The meal began in silence. Shikamaru did not even dare to glance towards Temari, afraid to make eye contact. Unknowingly, oba-san had just made the relaxing afternoon tense. Shikamaru had not corrected the old lady because he had expected Temari to do so. Yet, she hadn't. Although, it could have been because she was just too angry to reply and had avoided being rude to someone who was close to him. He had expected her to snap at him to explain it to oba-san later, or glare at him, or mention death threats against Naruto. Was she angry because he hadn't denied, was she? Shikamaru felt uncomfortable at the idea. He didn't wan't her to be upset with him. Shikamaru was getting nervous. This was unfamiliar grounds for him. He didn't usually care if somebody was upset with him. In fact, he usually like it when somebody kept quiet instead of shouting or in some cases throw kunai or ninjutsu at him. Shikamaru finally gathered enough courage to steal a glance towards the Sand nin. Shikamaru couldn't make out her expression as her head was bowed as she was looking down to her plate and periodically eating.

Oblivious to the discomfort she was putting Shikamaru into, Temari was currently thinking hard. She had felt heat returning to her face when the lady had assumed that they were on a date- who brings a toddler on a date, anyways? But she had been surprised at herself when she didn't feel the indignation that she should have felt to correct the old lady's assumption. Had she been someone else she would have made excuses. But she was Temari and she didn't believe in lying to oneself. She knew that she had fun picking on the shadow user whenever she came to Konoha. She always assumed that he would be her escort everytime. Now she realized that it was presumptuous of her. In the beginning, he had been a new chuunin who was taking a break from combat missions and was available for in-village missions. But then he had rejoined combat operations and still he was assigned to be her liason. Even then it was plausible that his prior history with her was the reason he was assigned when other chuunin,with lower skill sets, were available. But now that he was jounin, it was a gross misuse of resources to ask him to be a liason. Even though she was a jounin too, she was the Kazekage's sister and a long time liason from Suna that Konoha's Hokage trusted personally, so it was not unusual for her to remain the bridge between the villages, but Shikamaru's involvement was no longer neccessary. In all fairness, Hokage was well inside her rights to assign experienced genins to her as Suna did to Konoha's delegation.

Shikamaru poked his food with his chopsticks and thought about what Naruto had said. He didn't schedule his missions around the scary woman's trips. He didn't, did he? Sure, he may have passed over a mission or two a few times, but that was usually due to other reasons. It was true that he didn't find these trips as troublesome as he used to, but that was just because he had accepted his fate.

Temari glanced up at the boy sitting in front of her, poking his food. It was true that she didn't feel as tired as she should during the last few hours of the distance before reaching Konoha because she liked this hidden village. Maybe teasing the crybaby helped pass the time more easily and more fun than a diplomatic mission should, in all honesty. But it was fun seeing him squirm and know that he couldn't escape from his mission. Except that today, there was no mission. He had absolutely no compulsion to stay with her, nor she with him. Yet, here they were, sitting in a bar-be-que restaurant like it was what they did everyday. Her mind went back to this morning, when she had been dreading spending the next four days alone. She had felt a ray of hope when Shizune had suggested the lazy ass but it had extinguished cruelly when the Hokage had refused. She had decided to stay in her room after making a small appearance in the park when she had seen the familiar pony-tailed jounin. Then, the day just got better with time.

"You know," She said, "he was right. Why are you still assigned to me now that you are a jounin?"

Shikamaru looked up to find her looking back at him with a pensieve expression. Suddenly, everything was back to normal for Shikamaru as the retort formed automatically in his mind.

"Maybe they don't want to traumatise someone new. Seeing as I'm already scarred for life, they are just protecting the kids." He smirked. Temari's eyes narrowed as a vein popped out in her forehead. She looked ready to explode, and she did, afew moments later. Except, in laughter. Shikamary soon joined as the tension shattered like thin ice.

Both preoccupied ninja failed to notice the person sitting behind their table vanish.

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><p><strong>Our favourite ( read only) orange dressed ninja makes an appearance...<strong>

**before people ask, Hizuren is still there, playing with his balloon, but doing nothing that needs to be in the chapter.  
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**I hope it wasn't ooc...  
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**Only a 3 more chapters remaining...  
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**Rate and review! Enjoy :-)  
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	10. Cheating, Tea and a Revelation

**Hello guys... I'm back with an update. I hope you guys like it..**

**Enjoy**

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><p>Tsunade stood in front of the arched gate of the Konoha Cemetery. She rarely came to this place, yet she maneuvered easily to her destination. The graves of the Hokage were easy to spot after all, marked with their respective numerals. She had a bottle of sake in her hands and three saucers. Others brought incense sticks and flowers, but Tsunade brought what she thought her sensei would have enjoyed. She stood in front of the large headstone, different from the rest, and smiled. She laid down a saucer and poured sake into it.<p>

"It's been a while, old man." She smiled at the ground under which her sensei lay. "Sorry that I don't come as often as the others, but I don't think coming here is any good unless I have something to tell that will interest you."

Tsunade sat down next to the grave, cross-legged and poured sake into anther saucer that she downed in one gulp. She picked up the other saucer and tipped a little sake onto the foot of the headstone.

"I guess you would like to know that Konohamaru has learned to summon monkeys, if that brat hasn't already come and told you. He hasn't managed anything bigger than himself yet and is probably years away from summoning Enma. Naruto seems to have gotten a bit more mature, but still manages to piss people off as easily as before." She chuckled.

She repeated the process with the sake. Then, she stood up, laid an affectionate hand on the headstone and moved on to a smaller grave, next to her sensei's and read the engraving- _Sarutobi Asuma_. She sat down again as she took another gulp of sake.

"Hey there, kid." Tsunade spoke after a bit of silence. "I wish you were here to see what I'm doing. Hell, you'd be a good co-conspirator. Although I'm sorry for using your kid, I'm sure you wouldn't mind. That lazy boy would never figure it out if left alone and that girl reminds me too much of myself. She takes too much on herself. I don't want her to regret not taking an opportunity to do what her heart wants, when it is too late to do anything. " Tsunade sighed, as her thoughts went to a white haired pervert who had gone and left her alone. After his death, she had remembered all the times when she should have just thrown her pride to the wind and given in, but she had been stubborn, believing that he would always be there. She had cried harder than she had in decades, filled with regrets.

"Anyways, I have to get back now, you know, since I'm Hokage and all." She said finally getting up, after sitting in silence for almost half an hour. " I'll be back with updates later." She filled a saucer for each grave and emptied the rest of the sake bottle between the two graves, and walked off.

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><p>Sakura and Shizune had just finished the blood reports that Tsunade-sama had asked for an hour ago. They stacked them up in a file and walked out of the hospital in the direction of the Hokage tower.<p>

"Ne, Shizune-sempai, should we go and look around for Shikamaru later?" Sakura asked her senior with a grin on her face.

"Maybe, if we have the time in the evening Sakura." Shizune replied, a small smile forcing its way onto her face. The dark haired woman looked innocent, but Naruto had rubbed off on her in the past few years and she enjoyed a few pranks now and again. This matter with Shikamaru was too good to let go.

The pair made their way between the busy crowd, thinking of all the things they would do when they manage to corner the leaf and the sand ninja again. They were almost at the tower when Tonton made a noise that made Shizune look up to where the pig was looking and saw her teacher also walking in the direction of the tower, with a saucer and sake bottle in hand. Shizune recognized the combination as her teacher's grave visiting present. Tsunade turned towards them on hearing Tonton, and waited for them to reach her.

"I guess you are bringing the reports?" she asked as all of them started to climb the tower's stairs. Shizune didn't respond immediately as she tried to deduce her teacher's mood before she answered. She knew that Tsunade-sama rarely visited anyone's graves, and when she did, she was a bit too emotional afterwards. Tsunade seemed to understand Shizune's hesitation as she turned her head towards her students.

"I just went to let the old man know that Konoha hasn't fallen without him." She smiled. Shizune let out a breath she had been holding. Tsunade-sama seemed alright. In fact, she was in an especially good mood. Shizune smiled back and answered the question that the Hokage had asked.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. We have catalogued them as you asked, but I couldn't find the pattern you asked for."

"Don't worry, it was a shot in the dark, after all" Tsunade smirked, turning her face away from her students.

Sakura did not know why Shizune-sempai had stiffened on seeing Tsunade-sama downstairs, so she decided to stay silent. Now she understood that it was something to do with the past that she wasn't aware of. Now that conversation returned to the present matters at hand, she ventured a few words in here and there. Now, they had reached the main doors to the Hokage's office and the two ANBU on guard turned their masked faces towards them and acknowledged them with a slight nod. Just as they entered the office, an owl masked ANBU appeared out of the air and knelt before the Hokage. Shizune recognized the ANBU from before. Tsunade looked at the ANBU and motioned for Shizune and Sakura to leave. Tsunade went behind her desk and sat down in her chair as her students bowed and left. The ANBU waited for a command to begin. Tsunade closed her eyes and spoke.

"Report!"

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><p>Shizune and Sakura made their way to the Hokage's office for the second time in the last fifteen minutes, after the same Owl ANBU appeared and informed them that the Hokage wished their presence. They entered to see her leaning back in her chair and smiling. Shizune could see that Tsunade-sama was pleased with whatever mission that the ANBU had performed.<p>

"You want to see the reports, Tsunade-sama?" she asked, coming to a stop a few feet away from the huge desk.

"No." Tsunade replied, "As I said, it was a shot in the dark. No need to waste time if it is of no use. Still, I would like you two to stay the night shift in the hospital tonight."

"Of course Tsunade-sama." Sakura spoke for both of them. "Can we leave in the evening for a few hours? I would like to check up on Shikamaru." Sakura asked. She really wanted to sneak up on Shikamaru before that brain of his thought up acceptable excuses, plus she liked Hizuren.

Tsunade looked at her for a few moments. Sakura felt a little unnerved. Naruto had once told her that when she was plotting something, it was visible on her face. Maybe Tsunade sama had suspected something. She had to try very hard to not start to fidget under her teacher's intense gaze. Finally, Tsunade's face relaxed and she answered.

"Fine, but only for a few hours. I want you two to look in on Aoba's Team that came in an hour ago. Patch them up and give me a report on when they can be placed back in the field, before you leave for the evening. Be back before midnight."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Both kunoichi chorused.

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><p>Hizuren opened his mouth wide and yawned. Temari turned her head to look at the baby who was resting his head on her shoulder sleepily. They were in the park again, watching other children run around and play. A few mothers who recognized Hizuren came up to them to ask about Kurenai. They were sympathetic of her sickness that had caused Hizuren to be removed from her presence. Shikamaru had again been surprised at the ease with which Temari talked to them. He had expected her to give short responses if she even decided to speak. Yet, she had kept up a decent flow of conversation until the group of women bade them a good evening and left. After that they had started talking about anything and everything under the sun. They were still talking when Hizuren had interrupted with an audible yawn. Temari gestured that it was time they moved. Shikamaru sighed and got up. He picked up the fan and the small bag of supplies as Temari waited for him.<p>

"I think we should let him sleep now." Temari spoke softly, low enough to not disturb the baby, but enough to be heard by him. Shikamaru nodded and started to make his way towards his apartment. Temari walked beside him, gently stroking the back of the drowsy baby, soothing him into sleep. They walked in silence so as not to wake the sleeping Hizuren. It had started to become dark, and the village was slowly lighting up. The effect was quite beautiful, if you cared for that sort of things. He picked up his pace as his Apartment building came into view. Temari kept her pace as he hurried ahead to clear stuff around the room before the scary woman entered his apartment which looked like a bomb had gone off in there , ever since the arrival of the baby.

When Temari finally reached the landing on his floor, he had managed to throw all the mess into the small store closet, and was waiting at the head of the stairs for her. He turned and led the way into his apartment. Temari noticed the tell-tale signs of speed cleaning and smirked. She was going to tease him about him hiding his porn stash. She chuckled. It was going to be so fun. Shikamaru felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck and sighed. It was turning out to be one of those days.

Temari had put Hizuren in his crib in Shikamaru's bedroom and now she and Shikamaru were sitting in his living room playing a second match of shougi. The first match had stopped when she had stretched her legs and in Temari's words, accidently upset the table. Shikamaru had snorted and had barely managed to restrain himself from pointing out that it was such a coincidence that she was about to lose in a few moves. Instead he had offered to reset the board in its position before the upset and Temari had refused saying that she couldn't trust him not to cheat. This declaration had Shikamaru roll his eyes and then look at Temari, who returned his gaze without flinching. Shikamaru had felt the corner his lips twitch, but he just sighed and had just started the game again.

In the second match, Temari was being more cautious and being more thorough, thinking a lot before making her moves. Shikamaru didn't mind, in later years Asuma had taken ten minutes per move on average. The time just meant that the opponent was giving more of a challenge. Not that it was doing her any good, Shikamaru thought as she made a move that was one of the five he had predicted. He could see small beads of perspiration on her forehead, now that she had taken off her forehead protector. He was also amused by the small twitch of her nose as she thought deeply. He sighed and took her piece with his knight and looked up to see her purse her lips and frown. She would last twenty more moves if she played cautiously and if he didn't decide to go all out on her. He placed his elbows on the table to guard against any future leg stretching's, not that he expected her to repeat that. She noticed him do this and looked up to his face. While his face had the same look as always, his eyes were twinkling and laughing at her. Her own eyes narrowed at his obvious attempt to thwart any misdeed on her part. Her hands itched to sock him on the jaw. Suddenly Shikamaru sighed and looked towards the door. Temari looked at the door in confusion but relaxed as she sensed the visitors before the bell rang. Shikamaru stood up and went to open the door. He could sense the identity of his visitors and that was the reason he had sighed. He should have known they would strike again soon. He braced himself as he opened the door to the two.

"Good Evening, Shikamaru-kun. We came to see if you and Hizuren were all right." Shizune smiled at him. She and the pinklet stood side by side.

"We are both perfectly fine, thank you for your concern." Shikamaru said and tried to bow and close the door when Sakura put her foot in the way and asked, "Aren't you going to let us in?" Shikamaru smirked as he saw her smile as she thought that she had thwarted his first attempt. He looked at her and shrugged, "He is sleeping and I don't want our conversation to wake him up." Didn't they know after all this time that his first attack was always a feint, as he struck a killing blow with his reply. They wouldn't be able to refute his logic. He had won, that is, until a voice floated out from inside his house.

"Why are you talking at the door, fool? Let them in."

Shizune and Sakura's eyes widened as they recognized the voice. They had not expected her to be here. They watched as Shikamaru flinched, but held his ground.

"The brat will wake up if they are loud." He countered lamely. He had not expected the medic nins getting help from his own camp. 'Traitor.' He thought.

Sakura and Shizune watched as another hand appeared on the door and yanked it open to reveal the sand Jounin standing behind the owner of the apartment.

"So, all of us just have to be careful with our voices. It's not like we weren't talking before they came." She pushed him out of the way, then turned to them and smiled. "Please, come in."

Sakura and Shizune had to stifle a giggle as Shikamaru retreated, sulking.

"Thank you, Temari-san." Shizune replied as they walked in. "I hope we didn't disturb you both. We didn't expect you to be here."

"No-no, not at all. We were just passing time with shougi." Temari replied courteously as she gestured to invite them to sit down. Then with a triumphant gleam in her eyes she continued, "But now that you are here, I guess we will stop our game here." Shikamaru was about to protest, but before he could, Temari scooped down with a speed that was out of place in a non-combat situation, picked up the pieces and deposited them in the box next to the board. Then she, for lack of a better word, pranced down into the small kitchenette before putting a kettle to boil. Shikamaru mumbled something that sounded like ' cheater..'. She leaned over the counter and asked with a dangerous gleam in her eyes, "Excuse me?"

Shikamaru took the chance offered to him hastily as he replied, "I said to use the large heater. The smaller one is out of gas."

Sakura and Shizune exchanged glances and both burst out giggling.

"What? " Shikamaru asked annoyed as the kunoichi kept giggling.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were scared of her, Shikamaru. " Sakura said after she managed to stop giggling.

"Who wouldn't be scared of her?" Shikamaru asked. "Do you not know her?" He asked miffed.

"Hey!" Temari protested from the kitchenette. "I'd rather be scary than a crybaby."

Shikamaru also smiled at that. They heard drawers being pulled out in the kitchenette and then Temari called out again.

"Where the hell do you keep your tea, lazy ass? I can't seem to find it anywhere."

"There isn't any. I never got around to buying a new packet when the old one finished." Shikamaru replied sighing. He knew what was coming. True to his prediction, Temari walked out after taking the kettle of the heater and commanded.

"Go buy some, then. We can't have the guests leave without at least tea."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at 'we'. Hoping the others didn't notice, Shikamaru grumbled as he got up and made his way to the door. He glanced back and saw Temari glare at him, he hurried out of the door, closing it behind him.

"You didn't have to do that, Temari-san." Shizune smiled.

"Of course I did. Somebody has to remember their manners, and it didn't look like the lazy bum was going to. Anyways, it is just so much fun pushing him around, and I had to pay him back for something." Temari said mischievously, her eyes going to the shougi board. Shizune and Sakura smiled at each other, readying themselves to begin the attack, when Temari continued.

"I must say, I was dreading spending the days cooped up in my room. I am glad that it is not the case. Any hope I had of having some company was lost when I found out how busy all of you were. Yet you guys take time to check on this crybaby out of care. You guys really are very close knit. I really feel jealous when I see you guys look out for each other like this. I wish I had friends like you back in Suna. Being the only kunoichi of my age in Suna can get really tiring sometimes." Temari sighed as she leaned against the wall.

Sakura and Shizune shifted uncomfortably. All the praise was making them feel guilty for what they were here to do. Sakura smiled at Shizune and shook her head. Then she turned to the Sand nin.

"Don't say that, Temari-san. All of us here are your friends too. You are a precious person for all of us. Anytime you need us, I'm sure Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, me and the others will be at your side at the drop of a hat." Sakura smiled as she shifted to sit side by side with Temari and squeezed her hand. " You have been coming here for so long that in our minds, you are one of us."

Shizune also moved to Temari's side and put an arm around her younger friend. It was to this scene that Shikamaru walked in, a while later. He stood in the doorway, looking at the tree women sitting together, holding hands.

"Am I interrupting something?" He drawled from the doorway. All three kunoichi jumped, none of them had sensed him coming. Temari was the first who found her voice.

"How did you manage to sneak up on us? I never sensed you coming." She asked accusingly.

Shikamaru smirked at the obvious way Temari tried to take charge of the conversation, disregarding his question. He would let it slide, like always.

"My old man got me in the habit of using shadows to hide my presence as part of my advanced Shadow techniques training. It's become a habit, and right now, the entire landing is immersed in shadows. So, it isn't surprising that you guys didn't sense me." Shikamaru explained as he handed the packet of tea to Temari who had risen as soon as he had announced his presence. Temari walked into the kitchenette and put the kettle back on. Sakura also followed Temari .

"So, is that how your father always manages to just appear behind people? I always jump when he does that to me. " Shizune asked Shikamaru. Nara Shikaku's habit of scaring people was well known in the Hokage tower. His sudden appearances and disappearances caused many a chuunin to almost have heart attacks.

"No." Shikamaru laughed as he replied. "For that he uses a higher level technique."

Shizune told Shikamaru about a number of times when his father had been almost punched through the wall when he had done the same to Tsunade, in the hallways. Shikamaru just shook his head and smiled. By this time Sakura and Temari returned with the tea. The four were chatting about the usual things when Shikamaru turned towards the door and stood up. He walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Chouji reaching out to press the bell.

"Come on in, Chouji." Shikamaru invited his best friend inside. If Chouji was surprised to see the company sitting in his friend's apartment he didn't show it. Although his lips did twitch as he saw the sand jounin.

"Hello, everybody." He greeted as he took of his sandals and put them away in the rack.

"Hey Chouji." Sakura responded. "What are you doing here?"

Shikamaru glanced at the three kunoichi. If anyone had the right to ask that question, it was Chouji. He was, after all in his best friend's house, unlike the other three. Chouji however answered the question without any such thoughts.

"Something me and Shikamaru have to do." He replied. "I came to pick Shikamaru up."

Shikamaru sighed. He should have remembered to send Chouji a message. "I can't go, Chouji. Kurenai is sick and I'm taking care of Hizuren. Besides, I ate there in the afternoon."

"Is it today ?" Temari asked in understanding. They were talking about their 'Team Night'. Shikamaru had told her about it during lunch.

Chouji looked at Temari and nodded. "You know about tonight?" he asked.

"Yeah. Lazy here told me about it this afternoon. I think it's nice that you guys do it now that all of you have different missions." Temari nodded. Chouji looked at Shikamaru with a small grin tugging at his mouth. The ponytailed jounin had been insistent that they don't tell others about their little ritual because he didn't want others joining in to make it a larger party. Knowing his friends, it would soon be a Konoha 11 night if anyone found out. Shikamaru wanted to keep this one for himself as a reminder from days with Asuma and even Ino had managed to keep quiet about it. Shikamaru looked away as if he could understand what Chouji was thinking.

Shizune knew about team night as the team usually asked her to set up missions so that all of them, or at least two of them could have free night on the same day.

"What's tonight?" Sakura asked, curious. She had never heard anything about it from Ino, who had the evening shift today. Temari turned to her and was about to speak when Shikamaru cut in.

"It's nothing." He said looking Temari in the eyes. She was surprised but didn't say anything and shut her mouth.

Sakura could see that Shikamaru had lied through his teeth to their faces and that whatever it was, Temari knew about it. It kind of hurt to think that Shikamaru wouldn't tell his friends something that the sand jounin was privy to. Her expression was open for all to see. Temari caught this and she glared at Shikamaru. Shikamaru glared back. He didn't want to tell anyone. _Although I did tell the crazy woman_ ,he thought. _But she is from another village, not like she would blab to anyone._

They glared at one another until Temari finally blinked. She had never seen the crybaby hold her gaze for so long. Usually he gave up after ten-fifteen seconds. This time, he had held it for over a minute. There was an uncomfortable silence as Chouji coughed awkwardly. The two medics and the Akimichi felt as if they were intruding on something personal, like a domestic spat.

"So, I guess I'll leave then." Chouji finally said as the silence was getting to him.

"Yeah." Shikamaru said as he turned to escort the boy to the door.

"Wait." Shizune said. Everyone turned to look at her.

"I can watch Hizuren for you, Shikamaru-kun. You can go if you want to."

Shikamaru looked at the elder woman. She knew how important team night was to Shikamaru, after all, he had bugged her to no end in the beginning until she had given in and agreed to help him out on the mission schedule.

"I can't Shizune-san. I can't just leave you guys with my responsibility."

"Don't worry about it. If you want, I can charge you like a babysitter." Shizune grinned at the boy.

"Even if I let you do that, the scary woman is here. I can't leave guests behind while I go out. It would be rude and my mother would kill me when she found out."

"So take her with you." Shizune smiled.

Chouji looked at Shikamaru as the boy didn't shoot down the suggestion instantly. Shikamaru considered it. He then looked at Temari who was trying to keep the excitement out of her face. He had always been adamant about his 'No Outsiders' rule. Even if one of them couldn't make it, only the other two would go, but right now he was battling his rules in his mind, trying to justify letting the troublesome woman come along. He glanced at Chouji who smiled and nodded his agreement.

Now, it was solely Shikamaru's decision. It was at this moment Shikamaru was hit with the revelation that not only he was okay with letting her come, but also he would _like _for her to come. _Troublesome._ Finally, Shikamaru sighed as he gave up.

"Fine. But you have to charge me for a D-rank, even though it is troublesome." He told the medic. Shizune smiled. She had taken a gamble when she had suggested that he invite Temari. He could have turned her down and in the process, the sand girl would have been hurt. She was glad that in spite of being the Legendary sucker's aide, she did have a good luck. For Shikamaru to agree to take Temari meant the boy was willing to break his own rules for her, and that was a good sign.

"Let's get going then." Shikamaru said as he moved towards the door.

Temari took Shizune's hand into her own and bowed. "Thank you, Shizune-san."

"It's fine. Go have fun." Shizune said. She couldn't resist as she smirked and turned to Shikamaru and said, "Bring her back before eleven."

Chouji snorted as he tried to stifle a laugh. Shikamaru just turned to look at the woman, understanding the jab she had taken at him, acting as if he was taking her sister out on a date. He sighed and nodded, "Sure, oba-san. I'll be careful." He said with a smile of his own. Temari looked at him questioningly but he just shook his head and started to move. He took one last glance at the medic and saw her surprised face as he closed the door.

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><p><strong>So.. how was it?<strong>

**I hope you guys liked it... Now, two to go :-)**

**Review if you can please!**


	11. An Eventful Night

**Sorry, sorry. I know... It's been a _very_ long time but I had drawn up a blank. With this chapter, the fic is done. Maybe I'll do an epilogue... I dunno.**

**So, please forgive me. Read and enjoy!**

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><p><strong><span>An eventful Night<span>**

Temari sat down in the same seat she had taken in the afternoon. Chouji and Shikamaru slid in the seats opposite to her. Temari watched the two boys with interest. She had been coming to Konoha for a long time, but had rarely been in contact with people outside her official duties and of course, the Konoha 11. She got along with Shikamaru the best, Hinata the second and the large Akimichi boy the third. While she had befriended Hinata to get in the Hyuuga clan's good graces as the Sand's Ambassador, she had found that she liked the demure heiress.

She had believed that the girl would be a tongue-tied weakling, but a friendly spar had changed her opinion. While the girl was shy at first, she opened up after some time and Temari could see that she was pretty strong but had problems with her confidence. Temari eyed the ponytailed boy sitting in front of her. He had been the one to suggest she try to be friends with Hinata. Sometimes she wondered if he had known how the two would become fast friends or had just been giving random advice. _Who am I kidding? Of course he knew._

Shikamaru felt Temari's gaze on him and turned to look at her. Temari had her elbows on the table and chin resting on her hands. Shikamaru smirked at the way that made her cheeks squish. She looked cute. "What?" he asked. Temari shook her head. "Nothing."

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome." He looked at Temari again. "Spit it out. I know something's on your mind."

"Did you know that Hinata and I would get along when you told me I should make friends with the Hyuuga clan?" Temari looked at him carefully. While she knew the lazy jounin was too lazy to lie but sometimes he _did_ lie and lied magnificently. Shikamaru regarded her with a lazy eye. "What brought that up?"

Temari knew that he wasn't trying to change the topic. He could do way better than that, but she still didn't answer. Instead she continued to look pointedly at him. Finally, he sighed. "I had a good idea about the kind of qualities you wouldn't hate in a person and I also knew that Hinata would gain some confidence with you as her friend." He shifted into a more comfortable position. "So, to answer your question, yes, I knew."

"So you manipulated me." Temari responded, without any anger or annoyance. She just stated it like a fact. Chouji stopped eating the snacks on the table and glanced at his best friend, wondering how the genius would respond. Shikamaru merely looked Temari in the eyes for a few moments. "Do you mind that I did?"

Temari couldn't suppress her smile. "Not really."

Shikamaru felt a tug at his own lips.

"But don't make a habit out of it." Temari warned.

Shikamaru closed his eyes, "Whatever you say, scary woman." Temari smirked and started talking with Chouji, asking him about the best dishes in the restaurant. That got the boy talking pretty easily.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was thinking to himself. _Did I just say 'whatever you say'? That is just like what dad says to mom every time she scolds him._ He panicked a little. _ I am not turning into dad, am I?_ He glanced at the woman sitting opposite him, talking with his friend. _No, I don't act like I'm whipped._ He patted himself on the back mentally. He didn't want to be mocked by his son the way he mocked his dad. That would be too troublesome.

He glanced at Temari again. She was laughing now at Chouji's story about his latest mission. Shikamaru only half listened. He was paying more attention to the girl sitting opposite him, wondering about the day so far. It was similar to the times he acted as an escort for the Sand jounin, except that they didn't have any official matters to discuss. In spite of that, they didn't have any uncomfortable silences because of lack of things to say. The conversation flew naturally and it wasn't that he was forcing himself to say things. He realized that Temari was talking to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you. What were you saying?" he asked the girl, who was clearly displeased because of being ignored. She glared at him for a few tense seconds before repeating herself.

"I asked you how come you're beefing up on your training suddenly? I didn't sense you at all tonight at the house when you came back." She was watching the Nara suspiciously. Shikamaru sighed and Chouji smirked.

"What?" Temari looked from one boy to the other.

"Dad's getting on my case lately." Shikamaru would have said it in a complaining tone but that would have required effort. Chouji looked at his friend with a mixture of pity and pride. Temari could see that Shikamaru wasn't being completely forthcoming.

"But your mother's been after your ass for years, yet you've never given the effort before." She looked at Shikamaru with thoughtful eyes. "So why now?" Shikamaru grumbled something like 'mother', 'scary woman' and surprisingly 'damn oyaji'

"If you're gonna say something, say it properly." Temari snapped at him and he repressed the urge to smirk. Temari, however was not letting the matter drop.

"So, why are you training all of a sudden because your dad is asking you to?" she asked again. Shikamaru looked at her, his eyes calculating. Temari stared back, not letting him stare her down.

"It's really pissing you off, isn't it?" Shikamaru asked suddenly, his half-smile on his face. "You don't care about why I'm suddenly training, but the fact that I'm getting better than you. Isn't that right, scary woman?"

Temari's eyes widened at the boy's insight, but then she regained control. "As if, crybaby." She smirked, or at least hoped the expression she tried to pull came off as smirking. "The day you beat me, Gaara will dance."

"Then better get him a good dancing instructor, Temari." Chouji said as he picked up another piece of food with his chopsticks. "Because by the time Shikaku oji-san is through with him, Shikamaru will be a hell of a lot stronger."

He shrugged as Temari raised an eyebrow at him. "Shikaku oji-san isn't Jounin Commander because of his good looks, you know." He continued to munch as Shikamaru muttered a 'troublesome' under his breath.

"Only a few jounin can beat him head on, like Gai-sensei , Kakashi-sensei. Even Azuma-sensei never won against Shikamaru's dad." Temari's eyebrows retreated into her bangs . Temari had great respect for the deceased Wind-type ninja. She looked at Shikamaru for confirmation and he nodded, sighing.

"Wow." Temari rested her chin on her hands. Shikamaru again resisted the urge to smile at her. _I guess_ _she really is too damn cute! Troublesome, definitely. But also cute._

Temari shook her head and smiled. "I never knew Shikaku-dono was that powerful."

"Yeah." Shikamaru lazily scratched his neck. "It isn't a well-known fact, but Sandaime once offered the post of Godaime to my old man years before Tsunade-sama returned." If she had been surprised before, this tidbit floored Temari.

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Shikamaru nodded.

"So why isn't he Godaime?" Temari asked confused.

"Too much work." Shikamaru smiled at her.

Temari sat and processed the words. "Too much work?" she repeated, in a daze.

Shikamaru nodded seriously. "My mom is already on his back a lot to make sure he doesn't slack off from doing his duties as Jounin Commander. If he had become Godaime, my mother would have probably run him to the ground years ago."

"What kind of an excuse is that?" Temari asked, unable to wrap her head around the idea.

Shikamaru just sighed. "Well, that's what he says, but I think the real reason was that he didn't think he was the right guy for the job. I must say that I agree. He is too laid back and easy going to be the Hokage. He doesn't inspire awe like a village leader should."

Temari had to concede that point. She had met Nara Shikaku many times and had to agree that Shikamaru's father didn't radiate power and confidence like Tsunade did. Politics in the shinobi world depended a lot on one's reputation. It was one of the major reasons that in spite of the Kazekage being so young, no other village had tried to start a war with Suna when they were down. Gaara's reputation as a psycho and a merciless killer held their enemies at bay. Nara Shikaku wasn't a feared name. Temari saw Shikamaru look at her smiling, as if he knew what she was thinking, which he probably did.

The boy was a very interesting human specimen, in Temari's opinion. He whined and grumbled even though he knew he would eventually give in and do what he was told. He always lazed around, yet he turned into a fearsome opponent the minute his friends were in danger. Temari also knew that the boy had been offered a position in the **Twelve Guardians of Fire,** but the boy had chosen to stay with his friends.

"I guess you're right." She nodded and looked at him again, her brows furrowing again, her lower lip protruding a little. "But you still haven't answered my question. Why are you training all of a sudden?"

Shikamaru sighed and looked at her with barely suppressed amusement. "Are you _pouting_?"

Temari's eyes widened as she realized that _yes_ she was in fact in the process of pouting. Then she schooled her features into a glare. "Me? Pouting? Get your eyes checked Nara. I don't pout."

Shikamaru half-smiled. She called him Nara. It was usually a sign that he had caught her unawares. "You weren't?" he drawled, feeling a little reckless. "Pity." He smiled. "You looked so cute that I was about to answer. But if you weren't, I guess no need for me to answer."

Chouji stared at his friend, sure that this was the last time he was seeing the boy in one piece. Shock mingled with fear as he watched in awe. Shikamaru had balls of steel. However, he had nothing on Temari's expression.

For a moment, Temari's jaw went slack. She couldn't believe what the ponytailed boy had said. She watched him smiling at her, his eyes shining a little, which, for him, was a _lot_. Then her blood rushed to her brain along with her face, allowing it to process that the boy had actually, complimented her. Not only that, she was pretty sure the boy was flirting.

_The crybaby? Flirting? Psshh. No way._

Her hands moved dangerously towards the pair of tongs on the table, which wasn't missed by the black haired boy.

"Oye oye! Hold your horses, troublesome woman. I was joking, joking. " the Nara hastily explained.

When Temari's hands stopped shifting towards the possible weapon, Shikamaru looked up and saw a frown on her slightly red face. It was debatable whether the redness was from anger or embarrassment.

"Sheesh, can't even joke around here." He mumbled.

Chouji looked from his friend to the girl. Once he was sure that Temari wasn't going to try and stab Shikamaru with the metal tongs, he relaxed a little. Shikamaru decided that he had teased the girl enough and tried to think on how to answer her questions in the least troublesome manner.

"My dad says that it's time I started getting ready." He told the girl, looking a little displeased by the thought. Temari who was still a little embarrassed and angry, gave up planning a suitable revenge to satisfy her curiosity. "Ready for what?" she asked. Shikamaru sighed again. "To step up when he decides to retire."

Temari's eyebrows rose. "As jounin commander?"

"No. " Shikamaru looked back at her. "As clan head."

Temari's eyebrows rose. Show had forgotten that the lazy bum was actually a clan heir himself. Her lips twitched slightly.

"I fear for your clan when he does retire, then."

Shikamaru raised an offended eyebrow and Temari elaborated. "To have such a lazy clan head, all your clansmen will have to do all the work themselves. Or perhaps badger you until you work" she said with a hopeful light in her eyes.

Shikamaru just smirked. "Nah. They'll think it's troublesome and let me be. All the Nara are lazy. If one is too lazy to work, the other is also too lazy to get him to work."

Temari shook her head in amusement and Shikamaru smirked. Danger of being stabbed averted, Shikamaru went back to other topics.

Temari couldn't help but notice that she was enjoying this little outing. Much more than she had estimated. The conversation was warm and both the boys were nice company. The food was as good as it had been in the afternoon. Soon, she found herself listening to Chouji's stories about Shikamaru and Team Ten in general, laughing.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. She didn't miss Shikamaru's incredulous expression when Chouji offered her the last piece of meat. She didn't miss the small smile Chouji gave to the pineapple head either, but she refrained from asking. Since neither boys spoke of it, she kept quiet as well. After paying the bill, which both boys refused to let her even see, they walked out.

"Thank you for letting me come." Temari bowed slightly to the Akimichi who waved it away.

"You are like one of us, Temari-san." He said. "You are always welcome."

"Thank you nonetheless." Temari bowed again.

This time the Akimichi returned the bow. "Good night." , he said.

Temari looked at him in surprise. "You are leaving?" she asked.

"My clan compound is in the opposite direction from Shikamaru's house." Chouji explained.

"Ah." Temari nodded. "Good night then."

With a wave to Shikamaru, Chouji walked off.

Sighing, Shikamaru started walking. Temari fell in step with him. He glanced at her. "So?" he asked, "Had fun, troublesome woman?"

"It was okay." She smirked. Shikamaru shook his head and muttered 'troublesome'. They walked in a comfortable silence, but when they reached a certain fork, Shikamaru stopped. Temari stopped as well, raising an eyebrow.

"Your inn is this way." The ponytailed jounin pointed towards the other road. Temari's eyes widened in surprise. She nodded slowly and realized that she had unconsciously been moving towards his apartment, completely forgetting that she was, in fact, staying at the inn.

"My fan." She said.

"I'll drop it off in the morning." Shikamaru nodded. Temari didn't have anything to say to that. Shikamaru started walking towards the road to the inn.

"Come on." He said, "I'll walk you to the inn."

Temari's brow furrowed. "I can walk by myself."

"I'm sure you can." Shikamaru smirked. "But what kind of a man leaves a woman alone in the night?"

"Are you implying I can't protect myself?" she asked sweetly.

"No." Shikamaru shook his head. "I'm implying that I'm walking you to your inn, scary woman. Now shut up and let me."

For a moment, Temari almost stopped walking, but she wasn't a ninja for nothing. She regained her composure and kept walking. When they reached the main door of the inn, she turned to him and smiled sweetly. Then she walked up to him slowly.

Shikamaru's analytical mind went into overdrive. He could see around a hundred different ways this could go and around fifty of them ended with a kiss. Ten on the lips. Unfortunately, the end was from the _other_ fifty conclusions.

Temari punched him in the stomach. Lightly, but for Temari, even light carried quite a hit.

"Oww." He grumbled. "What was that for, you troublesome woman?" he asked, rubbing his sore abdomen.

"That," she smiled and brought her lips close to his ears, "was for telling me to shut up."

Grumbling, Shikamaru waved and walked off, trying to ignore how nice her breath had felt on his ear.

Temari stood at the door, smiling, and watched him leave. When he was no longer visible, she went in.

It was only when she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth later that night she realized that she had never stopped smiling.

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><p>Temari found it difficult to sleep that night. She tossed and turned, hummed herself a lullaby she remembered her mother sing. She even recited the names of all the important trade delegates she met with regularly. Still, sleep eluded her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was rattling her, keeping her on edge. Something that was… <em>quite troublesome<em>, to quote a certain lazy jounin of Konoha.

Life had a weird sense of humor, seeing as how she was quoting the very problem that was not letting her sleep.

Ever since she had been young, Temari had known what she wanted from life. She wanted to be a proud Kunoichi and serve her village. She loved her family and did what she deemed best for them. She was a brilliant child, bordering on genius. As a result, most things came easy to her. Strategies and analysis was her forte. She had remained unbeaten in them until she fought that lazy bum. For the first time, she had been outmatched and outclassed. That had piqued her interest, but she had squashed it, knowing that in a few hours, the genin would be dead after the joint invasion had crippled the leaf village.

But then later, after they lost the war in three hours and surrendered to Konoha, her mind had remembered the ponytailed boy. When the news came that the boy had been made chuunin, her interest had deepened. She had researched his clan and his family. She even went as far as to have his academy records spied on and reported back. It made no sense to her. She had been restless, irritable and all in all a pain to be around for over a month.

Then they were dispatched to give backup to the retrieval team sent after the defecting Uchiha. She called dibs on the Nara and no one questioned it. She would never tell him, but she had arrived earlier than he believed. She had observed his fight for some time. Taking in his tactics and fighting skills. The more she saw, the less she understood. Sighing, she jumped in finally when the boy was about to get killed.

Weeks later, when the concerns for an appropriate liaison were voiced, and she was selected, she was glad for the chance to study him some more. She had made plans to keep an eye out for the chuunin when in Konoha. Seeing the lazy Nara at the gates had brought a smile on her lips. Thus, they spent some time together, in an official capacity. After many meetings, she finally figured him out.

A lazy guy, but could easily give the weird green wearing duo of Konoha a run for their money if the proper motivation was given. Slowly, she eased into the role of said motivation. She teased, taunted and sometimes nagged him to do better. She wanted to see him reach his potential and then fight him, to decide once and for all, who was better. But over time, the fighting part became less and less important that the other part.

But once she believed she had figured him out, she was satisfied.

Or so she thought.

Today, she had seen a different side of him.

Normally during her diplomatic visits, even thought they had spent time together not doing official work, it had always been understood that they were doing so because they were supposed to. They had fun bantering, but she always knew that he was there on orders, passing time with conversation. But today, for the first time, she had just done nothing, and gone with the flow. Spent time with him as a friend, as a person and enjoyed it. Even in Suna, her idea of a good time was pummeling the training post and ripping it to shreds with her fan. But spending time with the Nara had been enjoyable and she had really been having fun.

She had spent a few nights with the other girls, trying to deepen her relationships with the Kunoichi of her age group, seeing as they were all on their way to becoming important ninja. But she had never just spent time with the lazy boy, in spite of their long association. At least not like today.

Her mind tried to rationalize her discomfort, but in deep recesses of her heart, she knew. She just may have a thing for the shadow boy.

Today was just a small proof. Nara Shikamaru had actually flirted with her today, and lived.

Even if he had said he was joking, or had made light of the situation, Temari had let it slide, which was strange. Temari never let these things slide. A few Shinobi in Suna could attest to that. No one who had flirted or tried to tease her had come away unscathed. At first, people were scared of Gaara to try to date Temari. Now they were scared of Temari.

Yet, the shadow user was completely unharmed after the fact he had called her cute and had only received a light punch for telling her to shut up.

Her, Temari of the Sand. _To shut up_.

Yup, it was official. Temari liked the Lazy Nara.

Temari groaned and rolled over in her bed.

Why? Why, out of all the men in elemental nations did she have to like someone like ….. like _him_? Trying to get him to put effort in his work was already a chore in itself, but to actually pursue a relationship with him? That would require so much work that the chuunin exam preparation would look like a walk in the park. Not to mention the idiot called her 'Scary woman'. Flirting was one thing, as all men at that age flirted some time or another. Would the idiot even want to be with her? She _was_ older than him. Some guys had that complex, and Shikamaru was always going on about 'Men' and 'Women'.

Temari sighed and sat up in her bed. She glanced out of her window. She wondered what she was doing, up at two in the morning, gazing out of the window, imagining pineapple ponytails in the distance.

Wait, what?

She narrowed her eyes and focused. She wasn't imagining things, it _was_ a ponytail in the distance. She drew her head back, that she had craned forward for better focus. What was the lazy-ass doing out at this time of the night? She pulled the curtains together, leaving only a small crack for one eye to watch the still approaching boy. She looked closer and could make out a small bundle in his arms.

Unknowingly, her mouth changed into a grin. She found the thought of the lazy Nara being forced to walk when he could have been sleeping hilarious. She mentally cheered on the baby. The Ponytailed youth turned into the park and slowly faded into the darkness.

Making a sudden decision, Temari got up and started getting dressed.

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><p>Shikamaru was walking in a large circle around the trees in the corner of the park when he felt her come. He didn't stop walking, instead, just started walking towards her.<p>

"Hey!" he gently called out, conscious of the yawning baby in his arms.

"Hey!" She walked out of the shadows.

He didn't ask her what she was doing out here. It would have been troublesome.

She didn't offer any reason for her presence. It would have been troublesome.

They just walked together until the sun came up, even though the baby had fallen asleep an hour ago.

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><p><strong>Thank you all, everyone who read and supported this fic. This was my first story on this site. While it took some time, it's finally done.<strong>

**I hope that my writing has improved over time and has given you the enjoyment I seek when I open any story on this site.**

**-Humbly and with Respect,**

**KBR.**

**Ja ne.**


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